Shadow of the Phantom
by Kayla Sparrow
Summary: Of course,everybody knew who the Phantom was...but what about the mysterious Shadow? Who is she? How did she become a part of the story and Erik's life? And most of all,will she change things for better...or worse? E/C,also E/OC. R&R!
1. CH1:Monsieurs, We bid you Welcome

**A/N: **Hello to all! Welcome to my new story! A couple of notes before we start: this fic is going to mix elements both from the stage and movie versions of Phantom. I love them both and have decided to pick the best elements from either to put them in the story. The plot is going to be revealed as the story progresses, so don't worry if you don't understand certain aspects right away. If you don't understand something though, please do go ahead and send me a PM – I'll be glad to clear any doubts or comments! Constructive cristicism is always welcome of course. Please be aware that this is my first attempt to writing a Phantom related fic, so although I'll try as best as I can to keep everyone in character, forgive me if I slip OOC and feel free to point it out to me so that I can improve that.

That'll be enough for now, so for now Enjoy the story!

Love to all,

-Kayla Shadow

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything you might recognize. The character of Shadow, though, belongs to me.

-

**PROLOGUE:**

_**Paris, 1911 **_

_**Operà Populaire de Paris**_

"_Monsieurs, allow me to present, directly from the famous production of Hannibal, lot 664: a fine handpainted theatrical poster."  
The auctioneer's wheezy, slightly nasal voice echoed around the half empty room, where a few people had gathered to see if there was anything worth buying amongst the antique objects which had once belonged to the Opera. A man in a wheelchair was carried inside by a nun, and brought beside the auctioneer's podium: it was none other than Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny. An elderly woman, standing on the opposite side of the room, noticed his entrance, and cast a brief glance his way, as the auctioneer carried on with his duty. _

"_And now, I give you lot 665: a music box in the shape of a barrel organ. It is still functional, as you can see, and it was found in one of the underground passages of the Opera. Its origin, it has been assumed by the monkey's clothes, is Persian. Lot 665, Monsieurs."_

_As he revealed the opening price, the elderly woman turned her gaze towards the Vicomte, and when she met his gaze, the two of them exchanged a brief, knowing look._

_The music box was bought by the Vicomte, and once it had been brought to him the old man looked at it silently, with a mixture of saddness and melanchony in his eyes. The woman turned her head away._

"_And now, Monsieurs, I give you our finest lot. Lot 666, Gentlemen: a chandelier, once shattered in pieces, now restored to its full splendor. The crystals have been replaced one by one, and the original lighting has been changed with modern electric lighting. It is said that this is the very chandelier-"_

"_Involved in the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera?" the elderly woman suddenly piped out, interrupting him. All heads, auctioneers' and bidders', turned to her. "A mystery…never fully explained?"_

"_Ah, yes, yes indeed," the auctioneer replied, as everybody turned back to face him once again, "A mystery never fully explained, indeed…and a story never quite told correctly, either. For you see, Monsieurs, everybody can certainly recall the events of the Phantom, also known as the Opera Ghost…but what few people know, is that his was not the only free soul which roamed this Opera. Perhaps, recalling the story in its true form with a little lighting will help frighten away not only the Phantom of so many years ago, but also…his Shadow. Gentlemen?" he signalled._

_In a few fluid movements, drapes were removed, ropes were pulled, and lights were switched on._

_And so, the story begins…again. _

**CH.1 : «MONSIEURS, WE BID YOU WELCOME»**

The dark night sky of Paris was being lit up with brightly coloured fireworks, which set off and exploded right above the Opera Populaire. Outside the Opera, numerous coaches were drawing up, and distinguished looking gentlemen helped wonderfully dressed madams descend from their carriages. All the most important noble men and women of Paris, la créme de la créme of the high society, had gathered for a night of celebration. The party was being hosted by Monsieur Lefevre, the owner of the Opera, who had announced his impending retirement earlier that week and had organized the event to properly welcome the new managers, Monsieurs André and Firmìn.

At that moment, Monsieur Lefevre was standing at the entrance of the theatre, welcoming his guests and looking around for the two men. At last, as he watched yet another carriage stop in front of him, he saw them appear from within it.

"Monsieur André! Monsieur Firmìn!" he greeted them warmly, shaking their hands as soon as they had climbed the stairs to meet him.

"Monsieur Lefevre," André greeted him.

"We are delighted to be here," said Firmìn.

"Indeed, and we are most honoured for all you have done for us," André concurred.

"It is the least I could do," said Lefevre, glad that he could now walk inside the theatre and escape the bitter night cold as he accompanied his two guests in the atrium.

They left their jackets and wandered in the main salon, where the rest of the guests were chatting vivaciously and laughing lightheartedly, enjoying the fine music that was being offered by the Opera's orchestra and the delicious food coming from the rich buffet that had been set up on one side of the room. Followed by André and Firmìn, Lefevre walked decisevly to the center of the room and took a flute of champagne from one of the waiters in his hand, raising it above his head and clinking on the glass, calling out so as to catch everybody's attention.

"Madames et Monsieurs, if I could just please have your attention for just a second," he began. The voices and noises quickly died out, and everybody turned to look at him. "Thank you," he said, pausing before announcing, "I would like to present the fine new owners and managers of the Opera Populaire, Monsieur André and Monsieur Firmìn. I would like to ask you all to raise your glasses now for a toast to these fine gentlemen. I am sure that this Opera will gain much benefit from their management, and it is a pleasure for me to leave the Opera to them."

The guests clapped politely, and the two managers bowed their heads. André then took a step forward and faced the crowd before them.

"What an honour it is for us to be received in such a way," he spoke clearly, "Allow me to say that this is not only a splendid night, but it is also a very meaningful one as we are all here to celebrate the retirement of a great man such as Monsieur Lefevre."

"A fine man indeed," Firmìn continued, stepping up besides his collegue and placing a hand on his shoulder, "A man who has bestowed his trust upon us to carry on his work. We hope to be worthy of this task."

"And, should we not be, you are all of course welcome to kick us out immediately," André joked, making everybody laugh lightly.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and surprised yells rose from the crowd. A cloud of thick, red smoke appeared at the center of the staircase, just in front of the three men, and the lights of the entire Opera quivered and went out for an instant. André and Firmìn covered their eyes, coughing from the smoke, and they heard Lefevre muttering worriedly, besides them, cursing under his breath in french. Apparently, he didn't look as though he had been caught off guard when the smoke had cleared and they were finally able to raise their heads and see what had caused the explosion. André and Firmìn narrowed their eyes to see better: there was a figure standing on the stairs, dressed in red.

No, that wasn't right…it wasn't _one_ figure…

There were _two_ of them.

The guests gasped and quickly moved away from the figures, leaving an open passage between them and the three Opera owners. The first figure, which stood out to André and Firmìn more clearly, was a tall, muscular and lean man. He was wearing a tight fitting red costume, which resembled Red Death, with a swirling cape draped around his shoulders, knee-high black boots and a skull-like mask that covered his piercing blue eyes. He moved slowly, confidently, giving off the impression that he had calculated every move he was making, and he took the time to examin the room with his eyes. His eyes then narrowed as they settled upon the three men standing in front of him. He drew out a slim silver sword that he was carrying around his waist, and pointed it towards them. At last, he spoke.

"So," he said, in a deep velvety voice,"These are to be my future managers, I suppose?"

"Lefevre, who is this man?" André demanded, worried.

"This is most irregular! What is he doing here?" Firmìn added.

"_I_, Monsieurs, am the true owner of this Opera," the man answered in a dangerously low tone, threateningly poiting his sword at the two, "And _we_ are here," he emphasized the word by looking around the room once more, "because _we_ did not receive an invitation for tonight's celebration."

"Lefevre, what in the world-?" André began.

"Monsieurs," Lefevre interrupted him, finally speaking up, "Allow me to introduce to you the Phantom of this Opera."

"The _Phantom of the Opera?_" the other two repeated, incredulous.

"Ridiculous!" André exclaimed.

"Unbelievable!" Firmìn echoed him.

"Unbelievable as it may be, Monsieurs, here I stand," the Phantom replied, with a quick bow, "Opera Ghost,at your service. In case our fine friend Lefevre has not told you yet, I live here. I am the master of this Opera, which I have built. I have set certain rules for those who wish to _manage_ my theatre, and I expect you to follow them just as your predecessor has."

"_Rules_?" Firmin repeated, with a mocking laugh, "_You _intend to set _rules_ for us?" he had stepped closer towards the stairs, and André was standing next to him.

"Indeed, Monsieur," answered the Phantom, taking another step towards them, sword pointed at Firmìn's chest, "You will find that they are quite simple, and I advice you to comply to them." he narrowed his eyes again to underline his threat, before he began, "Number one, I wish for box five to be left empty for my personal use. At any event, for any time I wish to use it. Secondly," he continued, now moving the sword towards André, who backed away, alarmed, "_Never_, under any circumstance,are you to go searching around for my lair. It is secret and I would wish for it to remain that way. Thirdly, Monsieurs," he concluded, lowering the sword and taking a step back, grinning as he raised it to examine the blade, "Allow me to remind you that my salary is overdued. I would appreciate if you took care of that as soon as possible."

"Preposterous!" André exclaimed after a moment's silence, furious with the Phantom's arrogant attitude, stepping right up besides him, "With what courage, Monsieur, do you show your face in this crowd and expect us to follow your orders?"

"You hide away in a secret lair, and yet you have the nerve to interrupt our celebration with such nonesense!" Firmìn agreed, following his collegue's steps and standing besides him.

Lefevre glanced nervously at the Phantom, who had sudenly turned rigid, and then stepped up besides the other two men, "Now, gentlemen, let us be reasonable, there is no reason to be upset-" he tried to calm them, seeing the Phantom's reaction, but the two ignored him.

"Oh, but there _is_ a reason to be upset, Lefvre!" exclaimed Firmìn, "And not only that, we are _offended_ as well! What an insult! To be threated like this, and by some fool who presents himself as a Phantom!"

"What a pity," the Phantom replied, shaking his head mockingly, "I had come here to make sure that my Opera did not end up in the hands of incompetent fools, yet right now I find that I am disappointed..." he trailed off, turning around the room to gaze upon the other guests, "And my, what a marvellous, useless display of a superficial celebration…what a fine brand of spoiled rich, coinceited and ostentatious guests…and all for the sake of two pompous, arrogant and ignorant idiots-"

"Enough!" Firmìn exlaimed, raising his voice.

"I will not stand and watch this mask wearing clown order us in _our_ Opera, let alone insult us in front of our guests!" said André, "Guards! Quick! Somebody call the guards," he ordered, "Tell them to come here at once and rid us of this…this…this _freak_!" he spat the last word out in the Phantom's face.

Before anybody could say anything more or even think about moving, there was a loud growl, followed by an angry cry, and André was suddenly pushed away from the Phantom as a white swirl passed in front of him him.

"Stand BACK!" a feminime voice snarled.

In a flash, the second figure that had been standing besides the Phantom when the smoke had cleared suddenly stepped in between the two men, shielding the Phantom with her body and crouching in a dangerous, predatorlike defensive position. She was wearing a white outfit which clung to her body, her ears were covered in a white wig which resembled a cat's, and her face was covered in a white cat mask. André suddenly felt he had the cold blade of a dagger pressed against his throat, and went rigid. Another angry snarl ripped from the figure's throat, and all three men froze on the spot.

"Shadow!" the Phantom exclaimed, alarmed, "Shadow,no!"

"Do not _dare_ call him that again!" she growled, bearing her teeth, "_Ever!"_

"Lefevre, do something!" André exclaimed, eyeing Shadow worriedly.

"Monsieur Le Phantome, _please…!_" Lefevre begged, exhorting him to do something.

The Phantom rolled his eyes and sighed, lowering his sword, "Shadow, let him go."

"But he _insult_ you!" Shadow replied, turning around to look at him and momentarily lowering her dagger as well, "He call you _f-freak_!" she growled at this last word and then spun around again, resuming her threatening position.

The Phantom merely walked up besides her and gently placed a hand on her arm, muttering, "Yes, but we are better than him, and that is why we will not sink to his level by harming him like this." And he looked intentely at her, giving her a silent order.

She remained still for a moment, her icy eyes boring into his, before obeying and reluctantly lowering her arm. He nodded once in approval.

"Lefevre, _who_ _is she?_" André demanded, still shocked.

"_She,_ Monsieur, is Shadow," the Phantom answered for him in a slightly irritated tone, as though he were suggesting that André watch his tone, "She's with me."

Suddenly, a loud command filled the room.

"HALT! HALT OR I'LL FIRE!"

Both Shadow and the Phantom looked around, alarmed, but before they could react they found three guards pointing their guns at them from three different entrances of the room. Apparently, somebody had warned them of the confusion and they had immediately come to end it. Shadow shrank back towards Phantom, who stood still trying to keep his cool.

André backed away from them, straightening himself up, and Firmìn followed him.

Lefevre simply stood there, wondering what would happen next.

"You, Monsieur, are no doubt the worst thing that could happen to this party tonight!" André spoke, regaining his boldness now that he knew he was being protected,"Your visit is unwelcomed, and an insult to all our guests!"

"Yes, yes indeed," Firmìn agreed, "You are nothing more than a couple of circus freaks, and we suggest that you return to lock yourseves up in your lair, where you belong, instead of bothering the rest of us with your foolishness!"

Besides him, the Phantom felt Shadow quiver.

"Oh, and be sure to take your…_pet_," Andé snarled, eyeing Shadow, "Along with you."

Instinctively, the Phantom stepped angrily forward, but this time it was Shadow who launched herself forward and grabbed his hand, pulling him back, scared that he would get shot.

"No! No!" she cried, "Let's go! Erik, away!"

"Ha!" Firmin guaffed, smirking at the scene, "Would you look at that now, André?!"

"Seems like the Beast is holding its Master now-!" André agreed.

The partyers snickered with laughter. Shadow dropped her hold on the Phantom, and he immediately turned his face to look at her. She had dropped her dagger and had recoiled, shakily holding her face beween her hands. He agrily turned around to glare at the guests.

"This isn't over!" he shouted, more of a promise than a threat. Then, before anyone could do or say anything else, he spun around, stepped back besides Shadow, and placing an arm securely around her waist he pulled her to him. She turned around and buried her face in his chest, and with one final glare at the new managers, he dropped something, and there was another blast of red smoke that filled the room and blinded everybody. Surprised yells echoed around the room once again,and when the smoke cleared…

They were gone.


	2. CH2: Nightmares

**A/N: **And here I am with the second chapter of my story!

I'd like to sincerely thank _**GirlyGeek**_, _**snapesgirl1313**_, _**stanislav'sgirl**_and _**Eccentric Storyteller**_ for their reviews and compliments – thank you, they really flattered me! Also many thanks for also adding me on your favs list.

I hope that you will continue to enjoy the story, this next chapter will start to give some background information on Shadow's history.

Oh, and just one last note, you'll notice that here we have the first piece of singing, you'll probably recognize it, just imagine it being sung on the melody of the song "_I Remember…"_ from the Phantom soundtrack. (except not by Christine's voice,of course) Well then, I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think about it !

To our next update, sincerely yours,  
Kayla Shadow

**CH.2 : NIGHTMARES **

_Snow._

_White snow._

_White snow,which fell upon the street, covering the pavement in a thick layer of frosted white. _

_And candles._

_The candles which flamed inside the lampposts, quavering with the cold breeze of the wind._

_But most of all, darkness._

_The eerie, black darkness which kept the alleyway in shadow._

_She trampled over the snow silently, glancing behind her every now and then, wondering what she was doing there. She thought she heard a noise, and turned around. No one was there._

_The wind howled, fiercely biting at her face, and she hastily wrapped her scarf around her more tightly. Then she stopped. _

_She had come to a dead end. She had unknowingly wandered right to the end of the alley. Now, the darkness seemed to engulf everything around her, making it nearly impossible to see. She pressed her back against the alley's cold brick wall, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply to calm herself. She never should've gone there. _

_Suddenly, she heard the same noise again. Her eyes darted open, startled. Her breath formed litle puffs of smoke in the cilly night air. Still no one in sight. She trembled, for the cold. And for the fear that was slowly intoxicating her. _

_She was about to close her eyes again, when a sudden ray of light ripped through the darkness._

_She shielded her eyes, blinded._

_She heard running footsteps, followed by a metallic sound. And then, she felt pain._

_Agonizing,excruciating pain, burning through her veins, tearing her apart…. _

_A shrill scream pierced the night air…._

"AAAAAAAAHH!!"

Shadow's eyes sprung open, alarmed by the sudden noise.

It took her a moment to realize that the voice screaming was her own. She felt her senses slowly flowing back to her and realized she was standing with her arms stretched out, lifting her torso up from the bed. Her face was beaded in sweat, and she was trembling. Without thinking twice, she bolted up and hurried through the darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow of some distant candles lit up besides the organ in the nearby room. She moved without making a sound and without looking around her, not stopping until she reached the other bed. She saw his figure tangled up in the sheets, his back to her, and almost regretted having to wake him. But the fear was still pulsing incontrollably through her veins, overcoming her. She felt weak, and she felt scared. She needed to hear his voice soothing her, she needed to have him shield her away from her demons and chase away the haunting images that were crowding her mind. Without further ado, she gently plopped on the bed, then cautiously stood still, waiting to see his reaction. Moments later, she saw him stir and turn towards her, inhaling sleepily.

"Shadow?" His voice was deeper than usual due to his sleeping state.

Shadow hesitated, but then saw that he didn't wait for an answer, instead he lifted the covers besides him and motioned for her to move closer. Relief immediately washed over her, and she felt an immese sense of security overcoming her as soon as she buried herself under the covers and drew herself besides him, lieing on his outstretched arm. He gently wrapped his other arm around her so that he was stroking her hair, still keeping his eyes closed. He could feel her heart beating wildly, and realizing that she was shaking, he frowned slightly.

"What's the matter?" he asked in his deep voice, "Another bad dream?"

Shadow nodded, and he sigh, continuing to stroke her hair.

Erik was not someone who usually felt comfortable with physical contact. After all, for the life he had lived, he had never known how to deal with such displays of affection and had never grown to appreciate the way emotions such as affection and comfort could be conveyed through a simple jesture, like an embrace.

But with Shadow, it was different.

Ever since she had entered his life – nearly six years before – she had changed a lot of how he used to be. No longer living in solitude, he had very slowly become accustomed to having someone else besides him. He had always thought that the circumstances that had brought them together had been some sort of sign that, maybe, there was hope for him. Hope, to live his life without being lonely. Hope, to teach someone to look behind the mask, behind the moster, and see _him_- the real him. Hope, to have someone who, for once, truly cared for him.

Indeed, over the years Shadow had brought an immense change in his life, as he had in hers. As time went by, he had found out something that had much shocked him: not only had Shadow fully accepted her new life…oh,no. The more time passed, he realized, and the more he had come to notice she _needed_ him. She had actually grown to rely so much on him, that now she quite simply could not live without him. He knew that was no exaggeration: quite simply, she had learned to depend on him to such an exent that she would probably never be able to separate herself from him and carry on a life of her own, by herself – nor would she probably ever want to, for that matter.

So now, she was with him wherever he was, and she followed him wherever he went, always by his side…

Like a shadow.

Furthermore, the way he had changed and affected her life was equalled to way she had changed and affected his. Although it had taken much longer for him to notice any change in how he used to be, he had eventually realized that she, too, had had quite an impact on his life.

Perhaps, it was because both of them had endured an unspeakable history.

Perhaps, it was because she knew he had saved her, and ever since then she entirely depended on him, and he had grown to see her as some sort of protégé of his.

Perhaps, it was because she was the only soul who he felt had ever understood or accepted him.

Or perhaps, it was simply because they felt as though, being together, they were where they needed to be.

Truth be told, in time they had grown to depend on each other, and they still did. Their bond, however, was something almost inexplicable for Erik: however caring he had felt towards her, or however he knew that, as she needed him, he also needed her in his life, somehow he knew that what he felt was not what one could define with a single, proper emotion. In fact, never had Erik been able to find a suitable word to describe what he felt for Shadow, and eventually he had given up trying to understand what it was he felt for her and had simply accepted how they were.

So no matter how he used to be, yes, Shadow had changed him, and that change had also meant, for him, learning to deal and cope with his emotions more. Many times, Shadow had proven to be a tough soul, as strong as a fighter and as deathly as a killer. But many other times, she had equally proven to be as fragile as crystal and as delicate as a butterly. Many times before, he had been woken up in the middle of the night like this. When that happened, he would always find Shadow in the same distressed state.

And, after the first few times of uneasiness and not being sure of what to do, Erik had very, very slowly begun to let himself go and had learned what it meant to be someone's shoulder to cry on. It had taken much time for him to grow accustomed to giving the physical, yet innocent reassurance which Shadow seeked, but eventually he had coped with his difficulty and had finally become used to it.

But, although he had gone thorugh this scene many times before, he now felt slightly confused: it had been some time since it had last happened. He also happened to know exactly why she had those nightmares, while she didn't. She didn't know what they meant, she couldn't understand them, and that was why she was so distressed.

"What did you dream?" he asked her.

He knew that, normally, she didn't remember what those nightmares were about, and if she happened to recall something it usually made no sense, yet he asked her still. And strange enough, she seemed to recall something that night. Softly, in barely more than a whisper, he heard her chant:

«_I remember it was cold_

_It was cold and I was standing in a street, _

_There was darkness all around_

_Then from the dark I saw a light..._»

She paused, gulping. Erik tensed up slightly, suddenly more alert to her words. He waited for her to continue, and when she spoke again her voice was almost inaudible.

«_And in the light I saw a…man._»

Erik felt a jolt in his stomach, dreading the words he had heard.

Now knew why Shadow seemed to be particularly frightened.

After recalling her dream, he felt her tremble more violently in his arms. Then slowly, he saw her raising her arms in the air, as though she were examing it, revealing a series of horrid scars, tremendously rippled across her skin, etched on her body as some horrible, terrifying symbols. A map of a nameless pain, which Erik knew also spread across her legs and abdomen. With a shaky voice, he heard her ask to the darkness:

_«Who was that shape kept in shadows?  
Why is his face in my mind?»_

Erik's stomach lurched again, and when he heard her voice suddenly break and felt her lean her head on his shoulder as she cried, he instinctively tighened his hold on her, softly hushing her and trying to calm her down. His mind whirled with thoughts of what her dream truly meant, and he had to fight to keep his own heartbeat steady.

He concluded that this was all probably due to the bad experience they had had the previous night at the celebration. While he had mostly felt angered and bitter, Shadow had been both gravely insulted and hurt. Yet her reaction had been no calmer than his, once they had returned to their underground lair.

"C-CURSE THEM!" she had yelled, splashing angrily in the water on the shore of the underground lake that surrounded their lair, getting her legs soaked. She stepped on land, ripping her mask off her face as she continued walking forward, "Those…they…we…AAARGH!" she let out an infurated cry, at a loss for words, tossing her mask aside and contorting her fingers in a clawlike manner with rage.

Erik had meanwhile calmly tied the gondola they used to cross the lake to the shore, and was now heading towards his organ. He still felt furious at those incompetent fools who had dared insult them that way, but kept his anger boiling silently inside. Shadow, on the other hand, was making no effort whatsoever to do so. Instead, she let all her rage out, feeling as though she had never been so insulted in her life.

"First…first, they call you fool, and clown, and…and…freak!...and they c-call m-me like…like…_beast!_", she buried her face in her hands. Erik silently walked up to her, trying to maintain his calm but starting to feel worried about her reaction.

"Now, Shadow," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You know what they said isn't-"

"NO!" she exlcaimed, taking him by surprise as she freed herself from his touch and spun around to faee him. He then saw that her face was shining with angry tears, and for a moment he felt insecure of what to do. He waited for her to speak. When she did so, her voice quivered.

"They…they right! Shadow…Shadow _feel_ human, Erik! Shadow _know_ she human…" her sentence trailed off, and she shook her head, gazing down at her catlike demise.

"Yes, Shadow, that's right…you are," Erik said encouragingly, taking a tentative step forward.

Shadow shook her head more vigorously, stepping back, "But then… then, Shadow _see_, and Shadow _know_ that _they_ think she _not_ human…I…" she turned her back to him, "Me…scary, and…threaten them, and…and…and me not speak well, when…when Shadow angry, or sad, or…."

"…Or hurt," Erik concluded for her softly, now standing behind her. She nodded silently, and he sigh, placing his hands on her shoulders to try and sooth her, "Shadow, that does not mean you are not human…you know that very well. You are very much a human being, I can assure you that. They provoked you, that's the only reason you threatened them. They brought your anger upon themselves, the fault is theirs. Do not think that having trouble expressing yourself when you're overwhelmed with emotions indicates the contrary. That merely indicates that you are more affected than others by these emotions…it is nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, those who should be ashamed are those mindless _fools_ who have treated you that way," and he looked up at the ceiling, as though trying to see through the rocks into the salon above, his lip curled back in a snarl for an instant before he returned his attention to Shadow, "And besides," he added lightly, taking his hands off her shoulders and heading towards the organ, and sitting down on the bench set in front of it, "You don't seem to have any trouble speaking when you're happy…when you're laughing," he turned around and looked at her with a grin, "When you're singing."

Suddenly changing expression, Shadow blushed, rushing over to him and agilely hopping right on top of the organ, on the space between the piano and the pipes, surrounded by candles. She swiftly moved so that she was facing Erik, with a curiously embarassed expression on her face.

"You…you heard me sing?" she inquired.

"Hardly," he admitted, fixing a couple of music sheets he had set before him, "I merely hear echoes humming through the lair now and then, when you're who knows where around the Opera. I can only presume it's your singing that I hear, or at least the echoes of it." He looked up at her, giving her an intense glance, "Why won't sing for me, Shadow?"

Shadow lightly drew back from him, shaking her head. "My voice not good enough for Erik." She stated.

He couldn't help but grin at her response.

"Is that so?" he demanded, "Well now, how would you know that?"

"I know," she stated simply, closing her eyes and turning from him, tilting her head upwards in a falsely superior attitude.

He sigh, "But one day, you promise to sing for me?"

Shadow's eyes opened immediately, and she turned to face him again, evidently surprised by his request.

"You…you want Shadow to sing for you?" she demanded, elegantly lieing down on the organ on her stomach, and resting her head on her crossed arms.

He nodded. "Yes, Shadow," he answered, "One day. When you feel ready. Will you promise me that, Shadow?"

Their eyes locked and she nodded, "I promise, Erik."

He nodded once, satisfied with her answer, "Good," he said, breaking their stare and moving his eyes to the keyboard. Shadow looked away, lost in her own thoughts, and she then heard him beginning to play a melody which immediately struck her. Raising her head up, she saw him playing the music intensely, his eyes closed. He grinned when he heard her rise her head.

"Shadow?" he called, opening his eyes to look at her, "Do you remember this?"

Shadow nodded, entranced by the melody. She knew that song by heart…

Because Erik had written it for her.

He called it _Shadow's Lullaby._

Actually, he hadn't played it in a while, but he had figured that would be a good moment to make her listen to it again, seeing it always managed to calm her down and lull her to sleep – after all, it _was_ her lullaby.

Concentrating on the notes, Erik closed his eyes again, letting the music fill the space between them and envelop them with her sweet touch. Time seemed to cease to exist, and both Shadow and Erik felt drawn away from their own senses, lost in a wonderful melody as their minds and souls wandered in a world of their own, divided yet somehow even more united than before. Shadow's every sense felt captured by the music – _his_ music – and soon, she felt all her worries fading away as a newfound peace entered her soul, and her mind was finally able to rest.

Indeed, when he finished playing, Erik looked up and saw her sound asleep. Smiling, he got up and walked over to her, gently lifting her in his arms and carefully avoiding all the candles which were surrounding her. He easily carried her limp body across the room, setting her down on her bed, not far from his own. She stirred slightly when he set her down, and then nuzzled into her pillow before returning to sleep.

Erik watched her with protective eyes, glad that he had at least managed to calm her a little and help her fall asleep. He gently brushed a strand of stray hair away from her face.

"Sleep, my Shadow," he murmured, "I promise you, whoever is going to hurt you will pay dearly." He clenched his fist for a moment, looking upwards again, then looked down again and caressed her cheek.

"Goodnight, Shadow," he whispered, before getting up and heading towards his own bed.

**A/N: **Right, just a small p.s.: if you'd like to know what I thought Shadow's Lullaby sounds like, just look up the song "River Flows in You" by Yiruma. It's already been used for another sountrack, but I thought it would be suitable for me as well anyway!

To our next update, folks! Please R&R!

Xoxox,

-KaylaShadow


	3. CH3: A Word of Caution

**A/N: **A big thank you to GirlyGeek, snapesgirl1313, and Eccentric Storyteller for reviewing the last chaper! I greatly appreciate it, reviews are always a great input for inspiration.

Here's the next one, please do enjoy it and leave a review! :)

to our next update,

-xoxox,  
KaylaShadow

**CH.3 : A WORD OF CAUTION**

The next morning, Erik awoke with the sound of the waves splashing on the lake's shore. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and saw that Shadow was still fast asleep besides him. He recalled the previous night's events and reckoned they had somehow drifted off to sleep after Shadow's telling him about her nightmare.

No sooner had he turned to look at her, that he saw Shadow's eyes switch open, wide and alert. Their azure colour seemed more crystal clear, probably due to her crying. For a moment, she stared at him curiously, as though trying to place her thoughts in her mind correctly, then, her face lit up with a radiant grin.

"Erik!" she called out simply.

He returned her smile.

"Good morning, Shadow. Did you get some rest?"

She nodded, "Yes," then she tilted her head to the side, "Time to get up?"

"I believe so," he answered, rising up and getting off the bed, "I would like to work on my Opera this morning," he stated, stifling a yawn and stretching his arms out above his head. He began to walk to his organ to get started. Shadow got up on the mattress, leaning on her knees, holding the blanket in her hands, and called out, "Erik?"

Erik stopped in his tracks and turned around, quizically looking at the now hesitant Shadow, who gulped and seemed to look for the right words to say.

"T-thank you," she said at last, candidly gazing at him with her crystal blue eyes, "Thank you for yesterday night."

Erik smiled and walked back to the bed, sitting down besides her. He kept his eyes locked with hers, and raised a hand to playfully tousle her hair, "Oh Shadow, you're very welcome," she smiled at him, and he added, "But you musn't thank me," he leaned in closer towards her, leaning his forhead on hers, "You know I'm always there for you, right?"

Shadow had her eyes closed and nodded contentedly, lightly nuzzling her forehead against Erik's.

"Good," he said, breaking the contact and unexpectedly placing a light kiss on her forehead before pulling away, turning around and leaving the room.

He didn't notice Shadow's eyes popping open the second she felt his kiss, nor did he see her reaction: as soon as he had left, a look of awed glee came across Shadow's face, and her heartbeat suddenly quickened. She couldn't understand why her heart was beating so fast, or why her cheeks felt flustered all of a sudden. Ignoring that, she elegantly leaped off the bed with an agile jump and landed with a soft thud on the floor. Getting up, she left the bedroom and found Erik seated besides his organ, ruffling through a big stack of music sheets, which he had all marked with his music. Shadow sigh.

She knew for a fact that now Erik wouldn't be able to pay any attention to her until he was done with his music. He always got entirely caught up with his Opera when he composed. Shadow wondered what she could do to pass the time.

Perhaps she could climb up to the rafters above the stage and watch the performers practicing? She grinned. Yes, she could do that! In fact, that sounded like a wonderful idea to her: Shadow _loved_ to watch rehersals. She could stand for hours at a time watching the singers perform and the dancers gracefully dancing their way across the stage. She would often sigh, wishing she could be able to be down there with them. She had to remain alert though, and be constantly on the lookout if anyone happened to come near her. In that case, she immediately had to flee into the darkness, for Erik had always severly prohibited her from approaching anyone up there. Of course she knew that he only did that to protect her, for she did not belong to that world. Her world was down there, in the lair, with Erik. Not that that really bothered her, of course. But sometimes, it just felt to her as though there was some small piece missing in her life, and she desperately longed to know what it was. No matte how hard she tried, she could not get over the frustration of having a disastrous memory, which barely traced back to the first moment she had met Erik. And even then, her reminiscence remained blurry, not quite sure. All she knew was that, at some point, her memories suddenly became bright and clear in her mind, and they all involved Erik. She smiled as she watched him play.

How many times had she seen him like this, caught up in his own world, oblivious to everything else around him? Shadow loved to see him like this, when he played he seemed to be so free, so carefree, so… happy. And Shadow always loved to see Erik happy.

Deciding not to disturb him, she silently crept away and hurried towards the other end of the room, following a narrow passageway that wound itself around the lake. She swiftly made her way along the path until she reached a big staircase, which led to the upper floors right into the Opera. She had just jumped up the last step, however, when she suddenly bumped into somebody, startling herself and gasping.

"Oh, why hello there Shadow!"

Shadow let out a sight of relief: it was only Madame Giry, the ballet mistress. She was dressed in her usual long dark dress, and her hair was strictly pulled back in a tight bun. She gazed down at Shadow with her stern gaze, but she knew Madame was hardly half as terrible as she seemed. She was the only person in the Opera who knew about Erik's existance and was allowed to visit his lair. Occasionally, she would walk down there to talk with him about the Opera's new events or to check how he and Shadow were doing. Two weeks before, she had gone to inform him about Lefevre's impending retirement. Shadow wondered why she was visiting them now, though she was always glad to see her.

"Madame!"

Madame Giry's severe air left her and she gave Shadow a small smile, "What are you doing wandering around here all alone?" she paused as the most obvious answer came to her mind and asked, "Is Erik composing?" Shadow nodded, to which she demanded, "Would you like to accompany me home?"

"Home?" Shadow repeated, confused. She didn't understand what _"home"_ was meant for.

Madame Giry grinned, "Yes, home…To Erik, of course!"

Shadow suddenly understood and nodded as a bright smile came across her face, and the two of them walked back to the lair, where Erik had just stopped playing to fix some notes on the sheet set out in front of him. Shadow hurried in the room, anticipating Madame Giry's arrival.

"Erik!" she called out merrily, "Madame's here!"

With a light jump, she placed herself on her usual spot on the organ, facing Erik. Erik stopped scribbling on the paper and raised his head towards the door, just as Madame Giry entered, stopping in the doorway.

"Ah, Madame Giry, my friend! Bonjour," he greeted her politely.

"Bonjour, Erik," she greeted him back, with a small bow of her head, "I'm only here for a quick visit, may I come in?"

"Certainly, I'll be right with you," he answered, turning around to organize the messy pile of papers set around him before going to talk with her.

Meanwhile, Madame Giry wandered across the lair to the organ, where she exhanged a smile with Shadow and playfully ruffled her hair, as Erik had done before.

"And how are you today, petite Shadow?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Shadow answered honestly, "I was going to see the rehersals!"

"Ah, so that's what you were doing when I bumped into you," said Madame Giry, "Do you like to watch rehersals?"

Shadow nodded vigurously, "Oh, yes, I do! Very much! They're so wonderful to watch, I wish I could stay and see them every single day."

"Do you watch the ballets too?"

"Yes," Shadow replied, "I always see your Meg," she then stated, referring to Madame Giry's daughter, who was a ballerina, "She is always so good!" she sigh dreamily.

Madame Giry chuckled, "Thank you, dear. Well then, you've seen the rehersals… But have you ever seen an actual Opera on one of the perfoming nights?" Shadow shook her head, her eyes widening with excitement, and Madame Giry continued, "Well, that's even more beautiful, my dear. Erik should take you to see one."

Erik, who had been listening to the wole conversation, immediately stated in a blunt voice, "No, Shadow's not ready for that."

Shadow turned to looked at him and her face fell slightly, but Madame Giry sigh.

"Yes, I…understand what you mean…Especially after last night's events," she said cautiously, not looking at him.

Erik tensed up slightly, as did Shadow. He imagined Madame Giry would have something to say about what had happened, after all she was bound to have been there at the party somewhere when all that commotion had happened. He hadn't meant things to go the way they had, and he wondered what Madame Giry had come to tell him.

"You know, Erik," she began tentatively, still caressing Shadow's hair in a motherly jesture, as Shadow laid her head down on her arms and closed her eyes, "You really ought to control your companion more if you are to pay such visits to our dear new managers. You gave them quite a fright."

"Shadow is not my companion," Erik replied a little too hastily, keeping his eyes glued to the sheets of music as he spoke sulkily.

Madam Giry stopped caressing Shadow's hair and looked at him, walking around the organ and sitting down on the bench besides him. Shadow watched both of them curiously, head slightly propped up from her arms, but she did not speak.

"Is she not?" Madame Giry demanded, then without waiting for an answer, she promptly demanded, "Then what is she, Erik?"

"I don't know…" he shook his head, almost shrugging as he struggled to find an answer and still determingly not lifting his head up, "Shadow's…Shadow."

"Yes, indeed, and you could have no one better to follow you," Madame Giry concurred, lifting her eyes for a moment to look at Shadow and give her an encouraging smile, before adding in a slightly sterner tone, "But remember...you can't get rid of your shadow, Erik."

He looked at her, confused at her last comment, "I'm not going to get rid of her!" he exclaimed.

"No, of course not," she replied with a sigh, getting up and turning to face him, "But remember this, Erik: there may always come a time in everyone's life when one is blinded by a new, brighter light and seems to want to rid himself of all his shadows, only to realize that he has tied himself to them too much to make them disappear. Just be careful that doesn't happen to you."

And with that she left, shooting one last meaningful glance towards Shadow, who stood looking at her with a perplexed look on her face, her head titled to the side, and leaving Erik utterly confused.

When she had gone, Erik returned to rummage through his papers, shaking his head and muttering indistinguishably to himself, feeling oddly uncomfortable with what Madame Giry had said. Him blinded by a new and brighter light? And wanting to get rid of his shadows – no, better yet, of _his_ Shadow? Now that was absurd. What on Earth did that mean, anway? He made a tutting noise, then heard Shadow sighing heavily on the organ in front of him. Lifting his eyes, he saw her looking into the distance in the direction where Madame Giry had left with a worried look on her face.

"You're not actually going to tell me you believe what she said, are you?"

She snapped out of her daze and looked down at him, "What?"

"You know that doesn't mean anything," he said, "She just said that because they must still be upset about our little visit up at the Opera last night, and she was worried and thought well of coming down here to give me a word of caution… A ridiculous one at that, might I add," he shook his head again, "Don't let it bother you, Shadow. I hightly doubt there should ever come a reason for me to even think about leaving any of my shadows – least of all, you."

Shadow felt relieved at hearing him say this, but part of her mind still dwelled with Madame Giry's words. She decided to leave for a walk, hoping it would clear her mind, so she sliped off the organ and began to walk away. Erik, on his behalf, finished setting his papers and was about to start playing again, when a thought struck him.

"Shadow?" he asked curiously, with a slight frown.

She stopped on the doorway and turned to look at him.

"Yes, Erik?"

"Shadow…" he repeated, not quite knowing how to ask her this, wondering how she would respond, "Shadow…What am I, to you?"

Shadow shook her head slightly and shrugged matter-of-factly.

"Home."

And with that she, too, disappeared in the darkness, leaving Erik more confused than before.

**A/N: **Well, so what d'ya think? You like it? You don't? Something I should change or improve? Just let me know!

xoxoxo,

K.S.


	4. CH4: These things DO happen

**A/N**: And here I am with the new chapter! Many thanks to **IamthePhantomoftheOpera **(hehe, I know, isn't he simply ADORABLE when he's confused? Ha!) and **Eccentric Storyteller** (Yup, she warned him alright… let's just hope Erik will listen to her!) for their reviews!

Here is where the original storyline wil begin to interwine itself with my own story… I hope you enjoy it! Without further ado… Here it is !!

To our next update!

XOXOXO

Kayla Shadow

**********************************************

**CH.4 : THESE THINGS DO HAPPEN**

A few days passed by without any particular events. Erik couldn't help but notice that Shadow, however, was behaving strangely. Ever since Madame Giry had warned him about his behaviour, he would sometimes catch Shadow looking at him with sad, thoughtful eyes, as though she was constantly repeating those words in her mind and was expecting Erik to disappear from her sight any moment. However, whenever she would see that Erik noticed her, she would quickly erase that look from her face and try to act nonchalantly. He knew he would have to deal with the issue sooner or later, for it seemed to him that his words of reassurance had done little or nothing to comfort her. As he thought about how he could solve the problem, he could only sigh and shake his head when he saw Shadow behaving that way. He knew that until he did something to prove to her that he really had no intention of abandoning her, she would continue acting like that.

He couldn't understand how one single, misinterpreted word of advice could have affected her so much. After all the years they had passed together, how could Shadow feel so insecure about him? Erik began to seriously wonder if he had been doing something to appear so untustworthy in her eyes, but couldn't find an answer to his doubt.

As if things weren't bad enough, Erik was dealing with his own issues, this time regarding his _Don Juan Triumphant_. He reckoned it was all connected: Shadow was feeling miserable because of what Madame Giry had said, which meant he was miserable too seeing her acting that way, which meant he couldn't concentrate properly, which meant he was now stuck with his masterpiece and couldn't carry on composing. It was as if his inspiration had suddenly died. He wondered when he'd be getting it back.

Then one day, as he was absentmindedly playing Shadow's _Lullaby _on the organ and Shadow had run off somewhere in the Opera, he finally made up his mind and decided he had had enough. He would talk with Shadow that very evening, and he would clear this situation once and for all.

Then, he suddenly came up with an idea. The thought made him smile, and he decided to act promptly, taking advantage of Shadow's absence. He got on his feet and fetched his long, black cloak, hastily draping it around his shoulders to cover himself as best as he could before swiftly following a secret passageway out of the lair and all the way up above the ground, into a deserted alleyway of Paris.

A few hours later, Shadow returned to the lair. Her mind was caught up in her own thoughts, much as it had been ever since they had spoken with Madame Giry. As she entered the lair, she found Erik standing besides the organ, fixing some music sheets. He didn't seem to notice her at first and she decided to leave him to his work, but as soon as she took a step away from him, he called out her name.

"Shadow?"

"Yes, Erik?" she asked, turning back around towards him.

"Would you mind coming here for a moment?"

She did as she was told, and he turned around to face her, a curiously satisfied grin on his face. He beckoned her toward the organ's bench.

"Come, let us sit."

Again, Shadow followed him, and the two of them sat down facing each other. Erik gave one last glance at his music sheets, before setting them aside, taking a deep breath. He seemed to be searching for the right words to say.

"Shadow, I have to talk to you about something important," he declared at last, increasing Shadow's curiosity, "You see, these past few days…they haven't felt right to me. Since Madame Giry visited us, you've been acting stangely, you wander off more than usual, you're constantly lost in your own toughts, you hardly speak to me… Good Lord, you look at me as though you expect me to vanish in a puff of smoke any second!" Shadow lowered her head in shame, and seeing this he sigh, leaning in closer towards her and placing a finger under her chin to lift her head back up, "I know why you're acting that way," he said gravely, in an almost solemn voice, "But you have _got_ to stop this. Shadow, I've told you: _I am not going to abandon you!_ I am not going to abandon you, I am not going to run away, and I am _not___going to want to get rid of you!" he frowned slightly, "Why can't you see that?"

He saw Shadow's eyes swell up with tears, and she had to gulp before speaking, fumbling with the words.

"Shadow…Shadow scared, Erik. Shadow not want Erik to…to leave her," and she gulped again, "Shadow scared that Madame right, because Erik say that Shadow not…not his…his _companion_-" and here she let out a sob, looking away.

Erik felt a knot form in his stomach at those words, finally realizing why Shadow had been so upset.

"Oh, Shadow…" he sigh, "Is _that_ what this is all about?" she nodded while still not looking at him, and he shook his head, "Shadow…I'm sorry. I swear I did not mean to hurt you…Had I known…"

"But still Erik say that!" she cried, now turning her head to look at him.

"Shadow, I…I said you're not my companion, but that doesn't mean that I don't want you anymore!"

"Then _why_ Shadow not Erik's companion?"

"Oh Shadow, don't you see? You're _not_ my companion…because I don't need one! I don't need a companion…I need _you!_ Look-" he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her now tear-strained eyes, "You mean the _world_ to me, Shadow. All these years we've been together, they way you've changed me… I could never think about living without you. No, Shadow, I don't need to tell you that you are my companion…" and he lowered his face slightly until he locked eyes with her and made sure she was looking back at him, before whispering, "Do you know why?"

Shadow shook her head.

"Because you're my _soul,_ Shadow. You've become my very soul." He smiled and ruffled her hair, "_That'_s why I said you're not my companion. I've spent my whole life alone, and I've learned to cope with it… I've learned to be fine _without_ a companion, and I never felt the need to have one… but then I met you, and you've become _so _much more to me! Don't you understand, Shadow? I don't need a companion, because _I _never wanted to have one. I _made_ that choice. But when you came into my life… I didn't _make_ that choice, Shadow. You just… happened. You came into my life so unexpectedly, and now… now, you've becme the one I care most for in this world… Why, you could say you're the _only_ one I care for in this world, given the circumstances!" he said sarcastically, glad to see that Shadow smiled weakly at this, before adding, "Shadow… don't you see? I can live without a companion… but do you think I could ever live without a soul?" Shadow now beamed, making Erik feel relieved. He knew that this was the right moment for what he had planned, so he added, "And this is why, I have something for you, my dear Shadow," she looked at him in surprise, and with a swift momement he seemed to produce a velvet box from thin air. He held it out to her, and she leaned in closer, curiously examining the small package. With an agile movement he managed to unwrap and open the box for her, and she let out a gasp of surprise when she saw what was inside. Erik grinned.

"Do you like it?" he asked her.

Shadow was speechless. He lay the box one the bench, extracting his gift from it: a sapphire blue ribbon which had a small shiny silver engraved bell, shaped in a sphere, attached to it.

"Now, listen closely Shadow…" he explained, stretching out to tie the ribbon around Shadow's neck, as she lowered her head to allow him to do so, "Until this bell stays around your neck…" and he tied it securely behind her head, before leaning back to examine it on her, stating in a solemn voice, "You have _nothing_ to worry about, because everytime you look at it you will remember that you are my own soul. And if ever you feel afraid again, I want you to think of think of this moment and remember what I told you, okay?"

Shadow, who had been playing with the bell until then, lifted her face – now radiant with joy – and suddenly threw her arms around him, holding him so close he had a hard time breathing. Then she let him go, and he chuckled, caressing her face. She smiled warmly at him, finally convinced that it was going to take more than a dark foreshadowing to separate the two of them.

They spent the rest of the evening together, Shadow lieing on her place on the organ and Erik playing some music. Since the moment he had cleared things with Shadow, he had instantly felt better, though his inspiration still felt somewhat distant from him. He resolved to find a way to bring it back soon, and entertained himself by playing his favourite pieces of Opera for Shadow. She listened attentively to him, captured by his music, and he once again felt peaceful and in harmony with her.

Finally, things were back to normal… even if not for long.

Indeed, just a few days after their conversation, Madame Giry showed up once again at the lair, this time bringing news from the Opera. Although Shadow looked at her grimly when she first arrived, it took one meaningful look from Erik for her to change her attitude and treat her normally. Nonetheless, what she had come to tell them made the blood in Erik's veins churn.

"Are you sure of this?" he demanded.

"Yes, Erik," she replied truthfully, "I've heard it myself from Lefevre this morning, and I came down here to tell you as soon as possible. The new managers are going to take over from him next week."

Erik's hands curled into angry fists, the memory of the crashed party coming back to his mind. "Those wretched fools…" he growled. Standing at a distance, Shadow glowered at her own memories playing in her mind.

Madame Giry sigh, "I am sorry to have to tell you this, Erik, I know this is happening very fast, but I thought you would rather know."

"Yes, of course," he answered politely, "I am sorry, my friend. I am thankful to you for coming to warn us."

"Do not worry," she replied, "I just wanted to make sure you both knew before it happened."

Erik nodded, before thinking to himself for a moment and telling her, "I will write a letter to them before they settle in. Don't worry," he added hastily, seeing Madame's reaction, "I do not mean that as a threat. I shall simply _remind _them that there are certain rules to comply if they intend to stay in _my _Opera." Madame Giry nodded understandingly, and he added, "Now I only have to find the opportune moment to make them receive it…"

"Whatever you do Erik, be careful," Madame said.

"I will," he reassured her, and she left.

Erik looked at Shadow, who was still sulking in the background.

"Don't worry, Shadow," he told her, "We'll find a way take care of those two incompetents, I promise."

_**Two days later…**_

Shadow stood hiding in the rafters above the Opera's stage, watching the rehersals. They were practicing the first act of the new production of _Hannibal._ She had never seen this opera before, and was gazing in awe at the magnificent costumes and scenery, which decorated the stage with dazzling colors. She watched as Carlotta, the Opera's arrogant, insufferably egocentric and flamboyant primadonna entered the stage, singing the _Ouverture. _Shadow rolled her eyes at her annoyingly shrill pitch.Right after, she saw the ballerinas entering on cue, gracefully hurrying to the front of the stage and beginning to dance. An army of soldiers, followed by a fake elephant, made their entrance as well, and Shadow watched the coral scene play before her eyes.

The rehersal was interrupted, however, when Piangi, the Opera's tenor, accidentally mispelled one of his lines. Monsieur Reyer, the main repetitioner, stopped the music and stomped on stage, annoyed at the inconvenience.

They were furthermore interrupted when four men entered the stage. Shadow hissed when she recognized three of them: the managers! She watched with narrowed eyes as Lefevre interrupted the recital, claiming attention and introducing André and Firmìn to the company. He also introduced the fourth man who was standing with him, whom Shadow had never seen before, and described him as _"the Opera's new patron_", one Raoul de Chagny. A vimcompte. Shadow snorted, crawling closer towards them as she balanced on the wooden rafters above them, careful to remain in darkness. She crossed the stage this way, listening closely to their converstaion as she did so.

They were introduced to Monsieur Reyer, Madame Giry, Carlotta and Piangi, and then began to profoundly compliment themselves with the primadonna, insisting that she perform an aria from the third act of the show. Carlotta, being the unbearable showoff that she was, agreed to do so, and the orchestra's Maestro began to play the music.

Shadow, who was now standing on the other side of the stage, leaned further over the rafter to watch the performance. The primadonna sang, and the rest of the people on stage listened in silence.

Then, just as she was busy performing the notes to the second verse of the song, Shadow suddenly heard a whisper in her ear.

"_What an unbearable sight_!"

She jumped, startled by the voice, and took a step back, involuntaringly tripping over a rope, which snapped loudly. Before anything else could happen, the rope broke loose, and a backdrop crashed on the stage, falling right onto Carlotta's promiment costume gown and missing the diva for an inch. Shadow immediately scrambled back to her feet and leaned over the rafters to see what had happened, and saw the managers hastily helping the uninjured, but deeply offended, diva back on her feet. Then, she felt a pair of strong arms encircle her waist, and the same voice whispering angrily in her ear, "_Shadow_! Are you insane? What's gotten into you?"

"You…you scared me!" she answered, trembling slightly and turning around to face Erik, "I didn't hear you coming."

Erik shook his head, frowning, "Goodness, Shadow, I thought I'd scared you to death! Are you all right now?" She nodded. "Good. I left my letter, I'm sure Madame Giry will proceed to handing it over to them soon."

They turned around to watch the chorus girls fretting over the accident and blaming "_the ghost_" for it. The three managers exchanged worried glances, and nervously stated that it was simply impossible.

"C-come now, Signora," André tried to tell the primadonna, "These things _do _happen…"

Carlotta was simply furious.

"Si! These things _do _happen!" she barked, "Well, until you stop these _things_ happening, _this thing_," and she pointed at herself, "does not happen! Ubaldo! Andiamo!"

And in the following hectic moments, she left the stage, leaving the new managers baffled. Lefevre quickly found an excuse to leave, while they questioned the Maestro if the diva was coming back. The fuss continued, and Erik lightly pulled on Shadow's waist, whispering in her ear once again, "Let's go home, Shadow. I don't intend to tolerate the sight of these two any longer."

Shadow obediently turned around, and Erik nodded once at her, letting go of her and beckoning her to follow him as he silently made his way through the dark rafters away from the stage. Shadow followed him, and they soon reached a hidden passageway that would lead them down to the lair. Just as they were about to disappear in the dark, Shadow heard Madame Giry's voice speaking to the managers.

"_Christine Daae could sing it, sir…._"

But before they could hear anything more, Erik closed the door behind them, and all of the voices were instantly blocked off.


	5. CH5: Truth Be Told

**A/N**: Hello everybody! As you can see, I'm back with a new update! I apologize for the slight delay, I hope the chapter will make it up to you.

As always, my thanks go to **Black Vampire of the Night16 **(_it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I do hope you'll forgive me for the lateness of my delivery!)_** IamthePhantomoftheOpera **_(you comment made me laugh! Ha! That's right you old drunken man, next time get your freakin' facts straight! Hehe) _**snapesgirl1313 **_(no need to thank me dear..thank YOU for reviewing my story!) _for your kind reviews.

Enjoy, folks!

Oh, and just for fun, I want to see **who can guess what is going on with Erik** by the end of this chapter…..

_**xoxoxo,**_

_Kayla Shadow_

******************************************************************************

**CH.5 : TRUTH BE TOLD**

Something wasn't right.

Shadow knew it. She could feel it, and she trusted her instinct. She did not know what had happened, but something definitely had. She could tell. Indeed, for weeks now she had begun to notice a strange change in Erik's behaviour. Obviously, it was subtle, and minimal, and she was probably the only one able to detect it. But something in him had definitely changed… and she had no idea how that had occured.

The thought drove her nuts.

Now it was her turn to worry about the way he was acting. Somehow, whenever she looked at him now, he seemed… well, different. He gave off a mysterious air, like someone trying to hide a secret. Often, she would catch him grinning to himself, mostly as he managed his compositions, and she wondered what was on his mind. He seemed to be absent most of the time, and at times he wouldn't even notice Shadow's presence in the room. He went about humming what she assumed was his _Don Juan _score, and sometimes, after she had managed to grasp his attention, he would drift off at one point, and leave her to rush over to the organ and start scribbling down on his music sheets. When this happened, Shadow could only sigh and walk away. She didn't have the heart to blame him for his behaviour, not when she knew how important his Opera was to him.

On one side, she was happy that his inspiration had apparently come rushing back to him, but another part of her regretted not having him around as usual anymore.

But there was a reason why she suspected there was something more to all of this. Ever since his change, she noticed, he had taken the habit of leaving the lair more frequently than usual, something he normally didn't do often. Not only that, Shadow had also noticed that, as the days passed by, his absences had become longer and longer, and they were not explained.

As far as confronting him about this, of course, she had said nothing to him. She hadn't done so, firstly, because she couldn't have explained herself - all she was able to do was _feel_ the change. Secondly, how could she think of blaming him of not spending the entire day with her to do Heaven knows what, after all he had told her and, most of all, after the gift he had given her, along with his promise?

"_Until this bell stays around your neck, you have nothing to worry about, because everytime you look at it you will remember that you are my own soul….you are my soul….my soul…"_

Shadow lay awake at night, thinking about his words, as she played with the silver bell hanging around her neck. A month had passed since he had given her that bell, and Shadow wondered for the uptenth what had happened to start to make him change. Oh yes, something had changed. She knew it. She felt it.

Erik was up to something, that was for sure.

Shadow huffed at the thought, tired of tossing and turning around uselessly trying to get some rest.

Moments later, Erik awoke with the sensation of hot breath tickling his neck. His eyes opened and his vision remained blurry for a couple of moments, before his senses completely flew back to him and everything came into focus. He felt his arms and legs horribly cranked, and his neck hurt horribly. He realized that he was not in his bed, as he had imagined, but rather sprawled over his working table, covered in papers. Slowly lifting his neck and hissing at the pain, he then saw the source of the breath that had woken him. Shadow was sitting besides him, eyeing him with a mixture of curiosity and worry.

"Bloody Hell, what happened to me?" he questioned groggily, massaging his neck and trying to turn his head around in a circle.

"You…fell asleep while you were working," Shadow exlplained softly, adding in almost a whisper, "Again."

"Is that what I was doing?" Erik asked, now stretching his back, "I could've sworn I thought I'd gone to bed before that…Well, no matter," he said, getting up, "I'll just go now. Thank you for waking me up, Shadow." She watched him go, silently debating on what to do.

Erik walked to his bed and lay down, reaching over to his bednight stand and putting out the candle there. When he turned around again, he found Shadow standing on the mattress besides him.

"Shadow," he said, amused more than alarmed to see her appear so silently before him, "What's the matter?"

"I need to talk to you."

He felt a knot in his stomach at those words. He knew he coulnd't have kept acting as though nothing had happened for much longer, he knew this was bound to happen sooner or later…

"Yes, Shadow?"

Shadow moved closer to him, staring him straight in the eyes. He would've backed away, had it been anyone but her.

"I am _worried_ about you, Erik."

"Worried?" he echoed. Now there was a reaction he hadn't expected.

"Yes. Worried." She now looked at him with her head tilted to the side, "Erik, what is happening?"

"What?"

"_What is happening to you_, Erik?" she repeated, a hint of firmness in her voice. She looked determined to get an answer. He wasn't used to seeing her like this, she seemed almost…offended by something.

"What do you mean, Shadow?"

"You know what I mean," she replied, her voice unusually steady, as she suddenly drew forward towards him, "For days you haven't been the same. Well, you came to talk to me when I was acting differently, so now I want to talk with you. You seem so distant, so detached, a lot of times you're not here and when you are you don't _seem_ to be here. I don't understand what is going on, but I wish I did, because it's starting to drive me insane. I'm happy that you have found your inspiration, but sometimes I wish it didn't occupy your mind as much…and somehow, I think your inspiration isn't all that's occupying your thoughts, and…Oh, forgive me Erik, I can't explain what I mean, but you have _changed_…I only want to know _why_." she stopped, breathing from the effort of her little speech. "What's happening, Erik?" she asked once again in a lower voice.

Erik was stunned. He hadn't expected her to behave that way, but most of all, he never could've expected her to express herself that way. It was not usual for her to control her emotions so efficently and be able to keep her speech under control as well, and he was surprised at how effortlessly she had apparently managed to do it.

Nonetheless, he couldn't ignore what she had asked him for – an explanation.

"I-Shadow, I…" he began, but she cut him off before he could start, by giving him one long, meaningful look.

"Just the truth, Erik," she told him, "I only want the truth."

The truth.

The truth…could he really tell her "the truth"? Did he really have the heart to do that? Did he really have the heart to tell her of what had happened to him, that had made him _"change"_? Did he really have the heart to tell her about that strange and completely unexpected _"something" _had happened to him? Did he really have the heart to tell her what – _who _– had made his inspiration come back, had made him become so distant and detached, and was the reason behind all of his long absences?

He gulped.

"N-nothing, Shadow…" he answered, clearing his voice to try and look more convincing and straightening up matter-of-factly, "Nothing's happening. You're right, I've been very much distant over this past period, and I am sorry for not taking better care of you. If it can help, I solemly promise to make it up to you as soon as possible, and I solemnly vow to pay more attention to my behaviour from now on." He paused and looked at her to see her reaction.

For a moment, all she did was stare at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Then suddenly, without further warning she put her hands forward and leaned in towards Erik. When she came closer – extremely closer – to his face, Erik drew back on instict, his back colliding with the bed, and then he stood still. Shadow came closer still, until she finally stopped at just a few inches from Erik's face. She seemed to be examining his face, his mask, and she silently moved to catch every single detail of his expressions. Instinctively, Erik's body tensed up: he had no idea what Shadow was doing, least of all why she was acting that way. He found that her current closeness somehow made it hard for him to think clearly. With a jolt in his stomach, he suddenly realized that half of her body was practically draped over his, with her hands standing on both sides of him and her torso in near contact with his chest. Erik couldn't move. His voice was lost, and as she breathed slowly, still examining him, all that could be heard was her slow breaths alternated with his short, more ragged ones.

At last, her azure eyes came to rest on his own, and for a second she stared at him without blinking. Erik tried not to blink as well, feeling his heartbeat accelerating by its own accord, and suddenly he saw something flicker in Shadow's eyes. A flash seemed to pass through them, she then gave a slight nod, narrowed her eyes just a bit more, and the next moment, she had drawn herself back from him just as swiftly as she had gotten close.

"Very well," she spoke at last, lifting herself off of the mattress and turning towards her own bed, "I think I should leave you to your rest now. I'll see you in the morning, Erik."

And without another word, she walked to her bed and lay down, keeping her back to him.

For a long time, all Erik could do was keep breathing and try to figure out what had just happened.

Never had Shadow done something like that. What she had just done was show Erik a stronger, bolder side of her personality that he had never seen. True, they were usually comfortable with sharing physical contact with each other, but her daring move had been unlike anything she'd ever done before.

His mind replayed the moment, remembering how she had suddenly drawn herself practically against him, how her eyes had scrutinized his face, how her body had stood besides his while she still kept a calm attitude, as if she felt completely in control of her actions.

And once more, Erik wondered what that had meant. He wondered what he had said to make her act that way. He wondered what she had been trying to do. And most of all, he wondered what her blue eyes had seen to suddenly make her break that contact.

But Shadow, of course, knew exactly _why_ she had done that, and knew exactly _what_ she had been trying to see.

She had had her reasons…For as soon as she had looked into his eyes, she had known, immediately.

As soon as she looked in his eyes, she had found the truth.

And the truth was exactly what had made her retreat so suddenly, fighting to keep her composure and calm, for the truth had hurt her like a stinging needle pushed through her heart.

Because now she knew, one of her biggest fears had just come true. Something which had never happened before. She didn't know why, and she didn't know for what reason, but now she knew.

Erik had lied.


	6. CH6: A Voice in the Gloom

**A/N: **Hello, my dear readers! I apologize for the long delay… I promise I'll try to make updates faster!

Many,many **thank yous** to : **michi-nin** (oh yeah,christine really was stupid to chose teh fop over erik,wasn't she?chiece…), **stanislav'sgirl** (in a word: yup! ^.^), **IamthePhantomoftheOpera** (hehe, I know, I hate cliffies too…nasty little things, aren't they?;D), **snapesgirl1313** (oh don't worry, he will…at least, I hope!Lol), and **dog youkai jane** (yes,I agree..a bad truth is always better than a pretty lie!) for reading and supporting me and my story. I appreciate and thank you for taking your time and leaving a review.

Now, just a little side note for this chapter: this chapter is entirely a flashback, and it should clear a couple of things from the last chapter. I took the liberty of making a few changes from the original storyline, so don't freak when you realize things aren't happening exactly as they should be or if you start to wonder what the heck is happening, okay? I promise it's all planned out, and I promise I'll stay true to the story and everything will be explained sooner or later.

That said, here's the chappie: Read and enjoy! I'll try to update as soon as I can. Oh, and I hate to bug my readers so much, but would you Please review? Even if it's just plain criticism (constructive,of course) Thanks. You rock! ;D

Lots of love, yours truly,  
-Kayla Shadow

* * *

**CH.6 : A VOICE IN THE GLOOM**

_**Some weeks before…**_

_Shadow strolled merrily along the dark underground alleyway, happily listening to the soft chiming the bell around her neck produced with every step she took. Almost a week had passed since the accident in the rafters, and everything seemed to have gone back to normal up at the Opera. _

_Of course, the ballet rats still sqeaked in fright whenever they saw a shadow, and they still hurried around the backstage in packs, but then again, that's what they always did. Carlotta, on the other hand, had been replaced by a young soprano, or so Madame Giry had come to tell Shadow and Erik a few days after the accident. Apparently, she had quite the voice, and was doing well at the rehersals. Shadow remembered how Erik had scoffed at this last remark, as though he merely expected the girl to be nothing more than an amateur, or even worse another soon-to-be diva, just like Carlotta. _

_He had been busy with his work laterly, and Shadow still hadn't gone back to watching the rehersals, so neither of them knew how the production was carrying on. _

_That day, however, Shadow just happened to pass in the corridor set right beneath the stage, and as she strolled past, she suddenly heard chattering above her head. Realizing she was just beneath the orchestra pit, she stopped. She was standing in a sort of chamber, which was as big as the pit and had a perfect acustic system. Sometimes, Shadow would walk there to listen to the concerts, though she was not always allowed to go there: Erik somehow felt it was a bit too dangerous, so she obediently began to avoid the chamber to please him. _

_Seeing the had come there by coincidence, however, she decided to stay for a moment: after all, it had been quite some time since she had last listened to the Opera's orchestra playing, and she reckoned it would be all right if she stayed for just one song._

_In the silence, she heard the Maestro's voice, loud and clear above the other musicians' voices. _

"_All right then, Madamoiselle," he called out towards the stage, "Shall we start from the beginning of the aria, then?"_

"_Yes, Maestro," a soft, slightly airy feminime voice answered._

_There was a moment's pause, then Shadow heard the Maestro calling everybody's attention, and the orchestra began to play. Shadow listened, captivated by the sweetness of the music. After the first verse, the voice began to sing._

"_Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye…"_

_Shadow lightly moved her head along with the music, closing her eyes. She liked the melody, and the song as well…and suddenly, the music stopped. A bit disappointed, Shadow opened one eye and looked upward, wondering what had happened. Apparently, the young lady had forgotten the words to the song._

"_That's quite all right, Madamoiselle," the Maestro reassured her, "You have still to learn the third act properly, but opening night isn't for another month, so there's no need to rush things. Here, why don't you listen to the melody one more time and rest your voice for a moment? Gentlemen, from the beginning, if you please!"_

_The music started again, and hearing there was nobody was singing above the orchestra, Shadow suddenly felt the urge to sing. Grinning to herself, she waited for the first verse and then began to sing along, making the words up as she chanted them…._

_**Three floors below….**_

_Erik crumpled another sheet of music in frustration. Damn it, how was he supposed to finish his grand materpiece like this?! Nothing, nothing he did seemed to work for him. He knew there must be some way for his inspiration to get back on track….but the question was, how?_

_He let out an exasperated sigh and dropped his head in his hands, massaging his temples and closing his eyes…then, he heard a sound coming from far away, echoing against the stone walls of the lair. He opened his eyes again. _

_Listening more carefully, he recognized the sound as a melody…an aria, by the sounds of it. Naturally, he assumed it was the Opera's orchestra playing…but if his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, he also heard a voice singing along with the music. He strained his ears to hear better: it was a feminime voice, that was for sure…but who did it belong to? He didn't recall ever hearing it before…_

_Suddenly, the music stopped, and so did the voice. He frowned, annoyed that he hadn't had the chance to find out who had been singing. But after a brief pause, he hard the music start to play again, and soon after, the voice followed suit, only this time, it felt slightly nearer to him…_

_Deciding he might as well get up and find a better place to listen to the singing, he fetched his black cloak and disappeared in the shadows, swiftly walking along passages he only knew of to get closer to the orchestra pit. _

_When he was two floors beneath the stage, he stopped in his tracks: there it was! He was standing in a corridor which was supposed to be right beneath the stage, and looking up he saw a grate which made it possible for him to hear what was happening on the floors above. Due to the narrowness of the corridor he was in, the sound seemed to echo wonderfully around him. And what he heard made him freeze on the spot: there, above him, the most beautiful voice he had ever heard was singing along to the aria the orchestra was playing._

_The voice was pure, with a crystal-clear pitch which vibrated wonderfully against the walls and played in perfect harmony with the music. Erik literally held his breath to listen as best as he could, closing his eyes and blocking all other thoughts and noises out of his mind. _

_As he listened, he felt his heart swelling, and marvelled at how much a mere voice was affecting him. He felt as if he was being cast under a spell, for the voice utterly enchanted him. It enraptured him, ringing in his ears and filling his mind. He had never heard a voice like that before…had he been any less rational,he would've sworn it beloged to an angel. Yes, the voice seemed to have an unearthly quality to it, being able to sound strong and gentle at the same time, delicate as a feather and yet sharp as crystal, all in the right passages. His head slowly tilted back, completely captured by it…_

_Suddenly,his eyes darted open: the music had stopped, and so had the voice. Erik began to panic: he had to know who that voice belonged to! He had to find out who had been singing! Without thinking twice, he rushed off along the hallway, determined to find out._

_Surely, if he hurried, he would still catch the performer on stage? He had to find out…for as he had been listening to that song, a voice in his head had suddenly told him that that was the one voice – the only voice – that could sing his opera. Yes, that voice was exactly what he needed, he was sure of it! He felt as if a part of his heart had disappeared along with that voice, taken away by it. He had to discover who that singer was, and… He stopped in his tracks, hesitant. And then? Then what? How in the world was he going to get her to sing his opera for him?_

_But no matter, he thought, resuming his walking as he pushed the thought aside: he'd worry about that later. Right now, all that mattered was that he discover the name of that voice. Having at last reached the upper floors of the opera, he cautiously stepped out from his secret passageway, finding himself up on the rafters above the stage. He heard people talking below him, and hastily rushed besides one of the rails, leaning over it and looking down._

_And there she saw her: a young woman, no older than twenty, with longhair which fell in curls down her back and delicate features, dressed in an elegant green gown with red and golden decorations and beans, standing on the stage with a slightly lost air about her. The Maestro was talking to her from the orchestra, and she seemed to be listening carefully. It was obvious that she had been the one singing, then. Erik's stomach jolted: so she was the one! She was the one whos voice had felt like an angel's! Now, if only he could learn her name… As if Destiny itself had read his thoughts, someone called out to her a few moments later, making Erik gasp softly when he heard her name. Without another glance, he turned away and hurried back to his passageway, disappearing beneath the Opera house once again, feeling his heart begin to race. _

_A plan was already forming in his mind as he made his way back to the lair, and all the while the girl's name echoed in his mind, over and over again…_

_Christine Daaé._

_Chistine….Christine…Christine…._

_Christine. _


	7. CH7: Look at your face in the Mirror

**A/ N: **I'm back !! I am so, so SO sorry for this endless delay, but I've been busy with end-of-school exams until last week and I only now found the time to get back to this story.

As always, I greatly appreciate and thank all of you who have left me reviews: michi-nin (_glad you like the twist! but don't worry, this is just the beginning...;D)_, snapesgirl1313 _(yup...I believe this situation is going to cause our beloved Phantom a looot of confusion!)_, dog youkai jane _(i KNOW, don't you HATE it when it happens?stupid confused protagonists...LOL.)_, and IamthePhantomoftheOpera _(I think you'll find an answer to your doubts in this chappie! and no worries, did you have fun at camp?)_

A small note before we continue with the story: I've made some minor changes in the way Erik and Christine's relationship first starts out, in order to make the pieces fit together. You'll understand what I mean while you're reading. You'll start to notice some more of these changes as the story progresses, now that I have to start entwining the original plotline with my own. But no worries, I promise I'll stay true to the story's spirit!

Oh, and one last thing: I had to focus a bit more on Erik's psychology and his inner thoughts in this chapter, and he might - and I mean, MIGHT - seem eversoslightly out of character at times. Now, should that be, please keep in mind that this is how _I _see Erik: for me, he is neither a monster nor a mere pshycopath, and in fact I believe that his character is one of the most complex ever created, which is why he is full of contradictions both in his emotions and in his actions. Also, I give a LOT of importance to how he feels about his physical appearance - something I believe is just a part of his character.

Now, I won't bother you too much on my own personal view of Erik, however, should you feel I have gone too out of character, please let me know. Thank you.

And now, on with the story ! I promise the next one will follow very soon!

Sincerely yours,

_xoxox,  
-Kayla Shadow_

* * *

**CH.7 : LOOK AT YOUR FACE IN THE MIRROR…**

Erik frowned.

There was something wrong with her voice. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but lately he had begun to notice that something was not right. Indeed, as he had slowly become accustomed to her voice, he had also started to feel perplexed: he couldn't quite explain, but it seemed as though something was…_missing_, from her pitch. Although it had been quite some time since he had first heard that celestial Voice echoing along the underground walls, he could still hear it singing in his mind if he listened carefully, and whenever he compared it to _her_ voice…it just didn't feel the same way. Of course, he had to admit that she had an incredible potential and an admirable skill, for someone as young as her…but however close and similar – even practically indistinguishable – to _that_ Voice she sang, Erik always felt as though there was still something _different_ about it.

He had forced himself to believe that it was all just a trick of his mind, and that it had all simply been caused by the different way in which the echos had made the Voice sound to his ears. What worried him was that his own explanation had done little to persuade him. He sigh deeply and shook his head, looking out in front of him.

On the other side of the mirror, there she stood: Christine Daée, the Opera's new primadonna, in a plain white nightshirt. Her long hair descended in curls along her back, and she was gazing intently at the mirror with her doe-like eyes, looking as if she were in a daze. It was half past eleven in the evening, and Erik knew that she would have to leave soon.

He almost grinned to himself thinking about the absurdity of the situation: there he was, hiding behind a fake mirror, all alone with a beautiful young woman whom he was giving singing lessons to… and who firmly believed that his voice belonged to the Angel of Music, who she thought was in fact her deceased father's ghost. Now, Erik was no fool, nor was he dumb. No, indeed, Erik knew, on a certain level, that his behaviour was, in a way, quite macabre, if not dowright blasphemous. He realized very well that tricking an innocent soul into believeing that he was her father's ghost, all for his own selfishness and self-pity, was wrong pretty much in every way. But ever since he had heard that Voice, and of course, ever since he had first seen her…everything had changed. He had felt as if, suddenly, his very mind had been taken over by her: her voice, her beauty, her face, everything about her. And, sure enough, his thoughts had soon turned into obsession.

It had all seemed to evolve from there: asking – no, actually, _pleading_ – Madame Giry to tell him more about the girl. Hearing her story, how she had lost her father and how she had lived in the Opera ever since. And most of all, learing about her father's deathbed promise, which had created and nurtured her secret belief: her desperate hope that one day, her Angel of Music would come for her.

The rest had almost been too easy for Erik. All it had taken him was his cunning skills and masterfully trained voice, to draw the innocent child into his trap and take control over her mind. And now, there they were: Christine, who now believed he truly was her Angel, and himself, the trickster who now held an incredible power over her.

He wasn't quite sure how he intended this matter to end, but some sort of self- confidence and trust in their Fate, together with what had become his obsession, had brought him to disregard any thoughts of right or wrong and any self-conscience, to carry on with his plan and somehow find a way to make her become his Muse.

But, as if things weren't complicated enough, something else had somehow unexpectedly gotten in the way: for as strange and unbelievable as it seemed to him, Erik had also realized that, slowly but surely, he had also started to fall in love with this girl. He almost hadn't found the courage to admit it to himself at first, but sure enough he had found it was true. And so, what was already an absurd situation had just gone from bad to worse.

The reason why they were meeting at such an hour was that Erik had made sure, from the first time he had "revealed" himself to her – only as a voice inexplicably speaking from the walls of her dressing room, and nothing more – he had made sure to convince her that this was only way they could meet: far from curious ears, shut away from the rest of the world. Chrisine had made no objection.

She had seemed to be completely entranced and captured by him – or better, by his voice – from the very first time they had met, and she would always do as he said. He could order her to do anything, anything at all: when to meet him, what to sing, how to use her voice, how to behave on stage, the way she should prepare her performance… he could even go as far as telling her who she could see and who she couldn't, and she would obey his every word. He had made her swear never to tell of his existance, for no other besides Madame Giry was to know about him, and once again she had obeyed. If, and only if she kept her promise and obeyed him, he had vowed that she would keep hearing his voice, and that he would help her rise to stardom. And of course, she had accepted without a second thought. Her blind trust and obedience almost made Erik's heart bleed. Almost.

The proof that Erik was no true monster was that, at times, her utter dependence and childish trust in him would make him want to give it all up and show himself for who he really was, and deal with the consequences that would come. But then, the thought of how she would react would strike him like a shower of cold water, and any further similar ideas of his would be immediately blocked out of his mind.

Even so, one night as he lay in bed, another consideration came to him: if she truly had all that faith in him, how could his physical appearance do this convinction of hers any harm? Erik thought about it. After all, if she _did_ believe he was her Angel of Music, certainly she could expect him to have an actual physical form? Well, of course his appearance didn't exactly appeal as that of an _angel's_… but then again, if he had tricked her into believeing he was an Angel of any sorts in the first place, would it be any harder to make her believe her Angel had now decided to show himself to her? Certainly, it couldn't be _too_ difficult, he wondered. Not with his abilities and decieving skills.

And so, he had made up his mind at last, and resolved to get his plan into action as soon as possible. And luck seemed to turn his way, for the perfect opportunity for him was just a short time away.

That night, he decided he would tell her about his "decision" after their daily lesson. So, as she finished singing, he brought himself out of his cloud of thoughts and spoke to her.

"You are doing well, my dear child," he told her, carefully choosing his words and fixing his voice as he always did whenever he spoke to her, "I am very happy with the progress you have made."

He saw her smile from the other side of the mirror. "Thank you, Angel." She said.

His heart fluttered, but he kept his mind steady. Clearing his voice, he announced in a strong, confident tone: "That is why, I have made a very important choice. My Angel of Music, I have decided that, on the night of your opening night…."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Shadow stood in front of three full-length mirrors, lined up against one of the damp walls of the lair. Comfortably surrounded by huge, red velvety cushions, she was wearing her undergarments, and was silently examining her scarred and scratched body. Her breathing slightly irregular, she examined every wound, her eyes widened with a mix of sadness and curiosity.

She raised an arm, turning it as if to study the marred flesh from every angle, then her gaze followed that marked path down to her elbows and up again towards her shoulders. The marks ended there, but a new series of them appeared just above her chest, plunging down along her sides and across her stomach, continuing down the curve of her hips all the way across her legs.

The candlelight reflected against her skin, making the scars practically glow in a slightly surreal light. Shadow gave one long sigh.

"_My scars…" _she thought,_ "…I am not scared of them…nor do I loathe the way they have mark my body for ever. But oh, if only I could remember HOW I got them…if only I knew their story..."_ and she shook her head, feeling helpless.

It was in moments like these that she truly wished she could recover her memory. But all that she had were those incomprihensible and dreaded nightmares, which had done nothing but increase lately. She frowned. Since when had that begun to happen?

"_Ever since Erik…"_

But suddenly, she felt someone touch her shoulders, and jumped. She snapped out of her thoughts, and saw Erik crouching down besides her. His hands were on her shoulders, and he was staring at her through the mirror in front of her. She turned her face towards him.

"Erik," she breathed, surprised to see him there.

She had started to become so accustomed to his lack of attention towards her, that his arrival had startled her. She was used to seeing his gaze lost in the distance, as his mind thought of things she knew nothing about. Yet now his gaze was firmly focused on her eyes, and he no longer seemed to be distant or far away.

Shadow wondered why he seemed to have changed all of a sudden, but realized it was probably due to the situation he had found her in right then. After all, scars were something both of them carried, both inside and out. It had always been one of the things that had made their bond so strong. Maybe, seeing _her _scars had reminded him of that, she thought.

As if to confirm her theory, he drew himself closer to her, lieing himself down behind her.

"Shadow…" was all he whispered, and then she felt one of his hands smoothly travel down her arm. He gently took hold of her hand and raised her arm, examining it and running his fingers along the marked flesh. Shadow stood still. She held back an involuntary shiver, feeling him rest his head on her shoulder and hearing him sigh.

"I've been away for too long, eh?" he asked in a whisper to nobody in particular, his voice softly echoing in the darkness. She felt his hand move away from her arm to touch his white half-mask. He gave another deep sigh, lowering his hand back down and closing his eyes. "Shadow, I…I truly am sorry."

And this time, Shadow knew he was telling the truth. Her heart swelled, then lurched when she raised her eyes and looked back in their reflection, catching his intense gaze. She hadn't noticed that she had tears streaming down her face, but what shocked her most, looking into his eyes, was seeing that they, too, seemed to be filled with tears, along with worry and concern for her.

She turned around to face him, slightly confused. Wordlessly, he lowered his face and placed his hand on his mask, gently removing it. He set the mask down besides him, and then passed his hand on the now exposed marred side of his face. He kept his gaze lowered, looking ashamed, and Shadow saw a single tear fall from his right eye. Frowning, she reached out and gently placed her hand on his.

At her touch, he lifted his eyes again, and locked them with her kind, understanding gaze. She caressed his face, showing neither pity nor disgust, but mere kindness and empathy. Her eyes seemed to be saying clearly: _don't be sorry._

He suddenly realized that she was probably the only one who could ever understand him. And, however crowded his mind had been with thoughts of Christine right up to the moment before he had seen her, as soon as he had caught sight of her standing in front of those mirrors, they had all seemed to vanish. And right in that moment, he seemed to forget all about Christine, as his mind now filled with thoughts of Shadow. His Shadow…

She who had always been there for him, never asking for anything more from him that what he was… she who knew and understood his pain… she with whom he shared his scars…. she who gave her heart to him, and asked for nothing in return…

And he had had the courage to push her out of his mind that way. Ignoring her, giving her presence for granted…lieing to her. And had she ever protested against his injust treatment? No. She had tried to ask him what was wrong once…and he had lied to her.

And _yet,_ now there she was, ready to forgive him for all of that in the blink of an eye. He felt horrible.

_What was **wrong** with him? _

Suddenly overwhelmed with his own emotions, Erik moved forward, and in a much unlikely manner for him, he draped his strong arms around Shadow's fragile figure, pulling her gently towards him as he embraced her. She said nor did nothing for a moment, evidently taken aback by his action, but soon she felt his tears trickling down on her shoulder, and she wrapped her own arms around him, burying her face in his neck.

"_Shadow…" _he thought, _"My Shadow...my soul…I am so, so sorry…I'm sorry, Shadow…I'm sorry…"_

"_Erik…"_ she thought on her behalf, hoping he would understand, "_My Erik…my Angel…I forgive you…I forgive you." _

And they stood in silence, each absorbed into his own thoughts, for there was no need for words in that moment, as both of them drowned all their emotions in that embrace.


	8. CH8: Silently the senses

**A/N: **Hello, my dear readers! Here I am with a brand-new chapter! Thank you for your reviews, I can't stop saying how much I appreciate them.  
Thank you  
- **IamthePhantomoftheOpera **_(yes, of course Erik noticed. He might be drawn to Christine, but remember … Shadow is still his Shadow! And you're very welcome, I personally enjoyed writing that ending very much!)  
-**michi-nin **__(I'm glad you like how I interpret Erik's thoughts, he is such a complicated character! And I'm also glad you got that "sweet melanchonic" feeling I wanted to convey with that last scene!)  
-**snapesgirl1313** __(Shadow's memory will be one of the mysteries that will continue throughout the story, but like any good mystery, it can be solved in the end! As for Erik ignoring her again…well, we'll have to see about that!) _and  
-**dog youkai jane **_(*sigh* I know, I know… but don't be too hard on Erik, he's already plenty confused about what to do (you'll see what I mean when you read this chapter)! But you know what they say...what will be, will be!)_

Please continue leaving reviews, I LOVE them ! I know this chapter is shorter than usual, but I think it's very important for the character's pshycology, so to speak. I also think you're all going to enjoy it anyway… so let me know if I was right!

To our next update,  
xoxo  
-Kayla S.

* * *

**CH.8 : SILENTLY THE SENSES ABANDON THEIR DEFENCES… **

Time passed slowly as Erik and Shadow stood in each other's arms. Erik, whose face was turned towards the mirrors, would now and then gaze at the image of the two of them, and each time he did he would feel a light tugging at his heart. Shadow, on her behalf, was looking out towards the lake, and she merely allowed herself to revel contently in the feeling of having Erik's arms around her. She felt once again safe and secure, something she hadn't felt in quite some time, so much so that she soon fell involuntarily in a sleepy daze.

Erik, noticing that her body gradually turned limp, gently raised his head to look at her and found she was dozing off, evidently drained from all the emotion. He smiled slightly to himself and started to get up, carefully supporting her body and lifting her into his arms. He lifted himself back on his feet and headed towards his bedroom. Shadow's head lulled back trustingly, completely abandoned, and she allowed herself to relax in his strong arms.

Soon, she felt him set her down on what she imagined was her own bed. Erik leaned in to swipe away a strand of hair from her face and then plant a kiss on her forehead, and then she felt him leave her side. Her mind then drifted back off to sleep, and her senses got lost in a peaceful slumber.

The hours passed, and Erik, on his behalf, stood wide awake, staring at the ceiling. His mind was filled with confused and contradicting thoughts. For once in his life, he didn't know what to do.

On one side, there was the thought of Christine, his beautiful Angel whose voice was like a gift from Heaven, and whose heart he desired to win over. Her sweet innocence and her trust in him, along with the thought of her truly becoming his Muse and – he dared imagine – accept him, once she discovered who he really was, made his heart soar. She was, possibly, the one hope he held to a "_normal_" life, the same normal life that had been denied to him for so long. All, of course, _if _she accepted him…Right. _If. _

On the other hand, his mind and heart also couldn't deny thinking of his beloved Shadow. Each time he remembered how much he had neglected her lately, he would feel a knot form in his stomach, and a wave of guilt washed over him if he thought about how her complete devotion to him had been hurt by his behavior. What was most terrible was thinking about how, just before Christine's arrival in his life, he had made sure to comfort and reassure Shadow that, no matter what would happen, he would _always _be there for her, and he would _never_ abandon her.

And hadn't he done just that, he thought? How could he expect her to believe him, if the way he had been acting proved the exact opposite of what he had promised? And yet on the other side, what was he to do? What was he to do about Christine, about his Opera, about his infatuation? Would he have to give all of that up, for Shadow? And on the other hand…_wouldn't _he be ready to do so? Or would he, instead, have to break his own vow and abandon Shadow in pursuit of his dream? No, he couldn't. He knew it, Shadow would never be able to survive without him. But if he refused to abandon her, then he would have to give all the rest up… But if he _did_ give it all up for her sake, then surely that would mean something… And after all, would he actually be capable of turning his back from this one chance he had at loving and being loved by another? Then again, wasn't he _already _loved, by Shadow…? But no, of course not. That was different.

He very quickly realized that he couldn't compare the two, he just couldn't. What they meant to him and what he felt towards them was different, and yet strangely similar… And yet, although he couldn't bring himself to imagine ever having to give either of them up, he felt that there was no way the both of them could coexist in his life. And somehow, even if he ever _did_ manage to somehow keep both of them momentarily, he knew that the time would eventually come when he would have to chose… and when he would have to let one of them go.

The thought made him shiver unpleasantly. He drew a deep sigh, closing his eyes and wishing for sleep to mercifully wash away his tormenting thoughts. But try as he might, he couldn't escape the truth: he knew he had to make a decision, and he had to make one fast. The promise he had made to Christine had staggered dramatically after his heartfelt moment with Shadow, and now he found himself at a crossroad. His mind continued to whirr with preoccupation, and the possible solutions he came up with turned around and around in his mind, until at last he fell in a dreamless rest, exhausted.

All was finally quiet in the lair, and the hours ticked by slowly.

After some time, Shadow felt her consciousness slowly flow back to her, and in her dreamlike state, she turned around in the bed. She sleepily shifted, draping her arms around a figure and snuggling into a strong chest, bringing herself closer and feeling the comforting heat of a body against her own as her hands held onto the soft fabric of a shirt… And that's when she realized she was clinging onto Erik, who was apparently lying next to her. For a second, she wondered what in the world he was doing in her bed… And then she realized, _she _was the one standing in _his _bed. She figured he must have brought her there before, instead of leaving her by herself. Despite the fact that she was still half asleep, her heart jolted when she realized how closely she had just drawn herself against him… and when she saw that he made no protest. In fact, she was even more surprised when she saw him shifting as well, and a moment later she felt his arm gently wrap itself around her waist, protectively.

Opening one eye, she looked at him and saw that he was indeed fast asleep. His unmasked face twitched slightly in response to some unknown dream, his lips slightly parted. His chest heaved with deep breaths, and for the first time in a long while Shadow finally saw a peaceful expression resting on his face. She gazed at him with wonder, her drowsiness making it feel as though she were living a dream. And suddenly, she felt incredibly drawn to him, almost irresistibly.

Slowly, she lifted herself slightly and moved closer to him. She then delicately placed one hand on his face, her slender fingers lightly caressing his cheek. She explored the ruined side of his face, her heart swelling at the tortured sight, and she caressed the scarred flesh, wishing her touch could heal every wound. Erik gave so much importance to those scars, and he couldn't see that he was _so _much more than them… his genius, his abilities, and yes, even his beauty: they were all blinded to him by those marks. Shadow wondered how, with his intelligence, he could give so much importance to them. She was familiar with his history, and knew that his childhood had been marked with hatred and loathing for the way he looked, starting with his own mother. She knew that he had been displayed as a freak of nature at a gypsies' fair for many years, and beaten up for other's entertainment. She knew that, after Madame Giry had brought him to the Opera house, he had known nothing more about the cruel world. But although she knew all of this was enough to justify his fears and explain the mask he wore, she still couldn't help wishing for his own sake that he would just accept those scars. After all, they were just…scars.

Then, she gently turned his head and allowed herself to marvel at the beauty of the features of his undamaged face. Her hand moved from the crop of his chestnut hair down along his nose, across his elegant cheekbones, following his strong jaw line… And then she stopped, as her eyes fixed on his mouth.

For a moment, she did nothing, and then she dared to move her hand again, ever so gently gliding her fingers along his lips. Shadow felt Erik shiver slightly at her touch, and for an instant she froze and took her hand away, fearing he would wake. When she saw him continue to sleep, however, she resumed her exploration, this time also drawing her face closer to his. The candlelight illuminated his elegant features, and once again Shadow felt captivated by his beauty.

She drew herself even closer, her eyes half-closed as she gazed at his perfect lips. Her hand moved to cup his cheek, tilting his face slightly towards her. Her mouth hovered above his motionlessly for a moment. Then she closed her eyes and leaned in… before shifting at the last second and burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Keeping her eyes closed, she inhaled his scent, so masculine and familiar to her, while her other hand was now buried into his hair. She stood still, taking very deep breaths. Her heart raced wildly. She had no idea what had just happened.

She knew that the way she was holding onto him was still an unusual sign of close intimacy, but something told her it was still infinitely less likely to startle Erik than if she had followed her instinct all the way. She could feel her heart drumming against her ribcage, and wondered if she the sound of it would wake him up. Fortunately for her, Erik truly seemed to have fallen soundly asleep, and gave no vital sign except for what sounded like a content sigh.

Shadow only dared to move a few inches to detach herself from his neck, but now it was her turn to lay wide awake, wondering what had gotten into her.


	9. CH9: I gave my Mind blindly

**A/N: **_ Hello, my fellow phans! After nearly a month of waiting, I'm back with a new update! Do forgive my long absence, I've been on vacation and it's been particularly difficult to find the right time to settle down and write. But have no fear, I'm back now, and what's more I have __**two**__ new chapters ready to go! I'll start posting the first one and then put the next one up soon. Do enjoy it, the plot is going to start getting more complicated from here and the story just might starting to get more interesting!  
As always, my thanks go to you, my wonderful reviewers:_

**snapesgirl1313**_ – I'm flattered that you think Shadow would be better for Erik than Christine! And don't worry… the romantic challenges of our heroes have just begun!  
**michi-nin – **__thank you, I'm glad that you think I'm portraying Erik nicely! And well, yes…it __**must**__ mean something, right? ;)  
**IamthePhantomoftheOpera – **__LOL, you're right, there ARE a lot of people in the future happy that Shadow is following her instincts, isn't that right? Don't worry, Shadow will keep doing just that as the story goes on…and who knows what else might happen!  
**dog youkai jane – **__Patience, my friend….patience! :)_

_To our next update! Please read and review…thank you!  
_

_Peace, love, and Phantom!  
xoxox,  
-Kayla Shadow_

* * *

**CH.9 : I GAVE MY MIND BLINDLY**

The next morning Erik woke up feeling strangely content, and was surprised to find himself stirring from his sleep with a grin on his face. He reckoned it was due to a dream he had had. As he lightly began to stretch, he happily reveled in the soft feeling across his body and began to move his limbs… And that's when he noticed the situation he was in, and nearly jumped a foot in the air.

Shadow was practically draped over him, one hand laying on the back of his head while the other lay on his chest, and she was so close to him that he could feel her warm breath tickling his neck. What startled him more, however, was the fact that one of _his_ hands was buried in her hair, while his other arm was placed around her waist, holding her close to him.

His eyes darted open as soon as he realized this. He tried to move cautiously, so as not to wake the still sleeping Shadow. Silently, he managed to slip away from her embrace and hastily left the room, his heart drumming in his chest.

"Calm down Erik," He told himself sternly, sitting down in front of his organ and taking a few deep breaths. His mind, however, seemed unwilling to relax. "_What in the world was THAT about?_" He tried to retrace every single detail of the previous night in his mind, right up to the moment before he had fallen asleep, but as far as he remembered neither of them had been so close until then. _No_, he distinctly remembered, Shadow had been fast asleep besides him, and he had his arms crossed behind his head. "So _when on Earth _did we get like _that_?" A preoccupied voice in his head all but shouted. Fortunately, his voice of reason kicked in as well. "_Now Erik… What's all this fuss about? You woke up embracing Shadow. How is that any different from all the other times you did that?_"

Right, he thought. Right. No reason to fret. Nothing to worry about. It was all normal. Perfectly normal.

But still, the thought of their intimate embrace made a jolt of electricity run through his veins. What particularly confused him was the sensation he had felt waking up in that situation. A sensation of happiness, of serenity, of… completeness,in a way. It had never happened to him before, and he wondered just _what _had made it different from all the other times he had woken up with Shadow in his arms. He tried to convince himself that it was all due to the fact that he had simply not expected to wake up that way, but somehow the explanation felt weak to his own ears. It seemed that apparently, all the thoughts and worries that had been going through his mind lately were starting to take their toll on his psychology. Luckily, soon he was able to overcome his initial shock and managed to return to his normal self by the time Shadow joined him, having woken up as well.

He was newly surprised, however, when she walked over to him and greeted him by tenderly embracing him, encircling his chest with her arms and resting her head on his back. For a split second, he had the urge to pull away.

"_Erik, enough with this nonsense! What in the name of Faust has gotten into you this morning?_" his inner voice reprimanded him, _"Get a hold of yourself! It's your Shadow, for Goodness' sake!"_ He mentally slapped himself for wanting to pull back from her touch, and quickly recovered from his lack of response by smiling and reaching up to take hold of Shadow's hands, returning the embrace.

"Goodmorning Erik," Shadow chanted merrily, and he was relieved to see that his initial startled reaction had gone unnoticed.

"Goodmorning _ma petite _Shadow," he answered, before turning around to face her and asking in a slightly concerned tone, "Are you feeling better today?"

She nodded, "Yes, Shadow feel much better now…thanks to Erik," she added in a whisper, lowering her gaze. Erik noticed that she was slightly blushing. He smiled to himself.

"Now, Shadow," he said, "I've told you many times before, you know that I always want to make sure I'm there for you when you need me." Feeling this might be a good moment to clear the situation, he sigh deeply before continuing, "Shadow, I…I can't even begin to excuse myself for the way I've been neglecting you lately. I know I haven't been around much, and I know that I haven't been taking good care of you, even after you told me you were worried about me… But you see, there's something I –" he was cut off when Shadow unexpectedly placed her hand over his mouth to silence him. He looked at her with a puzzled expression, and she responded with a slight smile, her eyes understanding.

"Erik," she said softly, "Shadow thought a lot about this. Shadow not want Erik to feel he has to tell her what is happening now. Shadow know that Erik will tell her when the time is right and when he feels ready. Shadow know Erik does not wish to hurt her. Shadow trusts Erik."

Erik's heart sank, and he had to restrain himself from pulling her into a breath-stopping embrace. Instead, he merely nodded understandingly. She grinned back at him, before leaping onto her feet.

"Shadow wants to see the dress rehearsals today!" she proclaimed enthusiastically, "Tonight's going to be a big night at the Opera!" she took off, but stopped abruptly in her tracks and turned back to Erik, as though she had forgotten something, "Erik…want to join Shadow?" she asked him.

Erik, who had stood silently staring at her all this time, snapped out of his daze and shook his head politely, "No, thank you Shadow. I…Well, actually I think I'll try to get some work done on my Opera today. I'll be right here when you get back," he hastily added, "Just…just so you know that." Shadow nodded happily, before bounding off into the dark underground passages and leaving Erik by himself.

There was, of course, a reason behind Shadow's behavior. During the rest of the night, as sleep apparently refused to come to her, she lay awake cradled in Erik's arms after what had happened. And as she stood there, she began to think over everything that had happened to them lately and, thought after thought, she had soon come to a very simple conclusion: yes, Erik was distant, and he was probably hiding something from her, and she had no idea what it was. But would she be willing to let that get in the way of what she felt for him, of how she saw him…of how they were? No, she decided. She would not.

True, Erik had never before kept anything from her. And that was precisely why, she knew that whatever the reason was, if he _was_ indeed doing so now, it was, with all probability, only for her own good. What other reason would he have otherwise? He had no reason not to trust her to keep any sort of secret, he knew she would be able to understand practically any problem he could have, and he knew she would absolutely _never _judge him, no matter what he did. So why else hide something from her, if not to keep any type of harm from her?

As soon as she had come to this conclusion, Shadow had felt a sudden surge of relief wash over her. She felt as if all her worries and concerns regarding Erik and his behavior had magically vanished, or at the very least drastically diminished.

Yes, she decided: she would trust Erik. She would trust him, and she would wait for things to unravel the way they were meant to. She knew everything would work out in the end. In the meantime, all she had to do was have faith and remind herself how important Erik was for her. She wouldn't allow _anything_ to change the way she felt for him, or keep her from showing him how much she cared for him. No secret in the world could be worth that.

And so, she had started showing her new attitude that morning when she had greeted him. She had meant to thank him in some way for the way he had comforted her the previous night, and she hoped he had understood that. She had felt slightly crestfallen when he had declined to go with her, but then the thought that he would be happy dedicating himself to his Opera had made up for that.

Now, Shadow moved agilely through the Opera, climbing up to the rafters and finding a comfortable place from where she could watch the rehearsals before settling down. She stood watching silently as the ballerinas rehearsed the ballets with their costumes and the orchestra played for them.

The day slipped by quickly, and as Shadow entertained herself with the last rehearsals before the big opening night, Erik sat in his lair, feeling emotionally devastated. He was holding his face in between his hands, his fingers sinking in his hair as he stared blankly ahead of him, the candlelight illuminating his distressed features. Unlike he had told Shadow, he had had no intention at all of working on his Opera, as it was possibly the last of his problems right then. At that moment, there was another, much more pressing matter, looming over his head like a heavy cloud. Over the night, before he had fallen asleep, it had seemed to him that his mind had somehow managed to conjure up a plan of some sort – a plan that, now that the time to act was approaching, just seemed weaker and weaker by the minute to Erik. Doubts crowded his mind, and a tiny voice kept telling him how it would never work out.

And so, his tormented mind raced with thoughts and images of Christine, his Opera, his promise, his Shadow, and then back to Christine, and back to his Shadow, then back to Christine…then back to his Shadow….Christine. Shadow. Christine. Shadow. Christine. Shadow.

In a sudden moment of fury, his frustration got the best of him: he got on his feet and threw a candelabra that was standing in front of him across the room. It hit the corner of one of the full-length mirrors, making a crashing metallic sound, and then fell to the ground, clinking helplessly on the pavement. Erik's chest heaved with his heavy breathing, and he once again tried to string his thoughts back together. He couldn't seem to think the situation through clearly: if he started off thinking about Christine, his thoughts would automatically veer towards Shadow, and if he started thinking about Shadow, his thoughts would race back to Christine. He had _no_ idea about how to handle the situation, and it was driving him mad.

With a swift stride, he crossed the room to where the candelabra had fallen and picked it up. Then he straightened back up and froze: he realized that he was looking into the same exact mirror where he and Shadow had watched their mirrored reflections the night before. His eyes slowly lowered to the floor, where the velvety cushions still stood, and for a split second the image of him and Shadow embracing ripped through his mind like a flash of lighting, making his heart skip a beat.

"_No…" _he though, stumbling forward and grasping onto the mirror for support, raising his gaze once again. He stared at himself with deep, thoughtful eyes. "_I…can't do this…."_ His inner voice spoke weakly, thinking back on his plan.

He swallowed down the lump that was beginning to form in his throat, and pulling himself together he turned away from the mirror, hurrying towards his bedroom to change. He had no other option, his plan would just have to work or go horribly wrong. It was all he could do to try and deal with his current circumstances, and he had to go through with it whether he liked it or not. He dressed quickly, knowing that the time to act was almost upon him. A few minutes later he made his way across the lair, fixing a black glove on his hand as he walked, his ebony cape billowing majestically around him with every step he took. He held a serious, yet determined expression, his mind still deep in thought. He made to enter one of the secret passages, when he felt somebody bumping into him. He looked down to find Shadow's eyes peering at him in the dim light.

"Erik?"

"Shadow. There you are. I was looking for-" he responded, but she spoke again before he could continue.

"Erik, where are you going?" she tilted her head to the side, and curiously she asked, "Is Erik attending the Opera tonight?"

Erik bit his tongue. Of course, he had expected this as part of the plan, but the direct question still made him hesitate for a moment. He forced himself to keep his cool: now was not the time for doubts or hesitance. Now was the time to act. He had a plan to follow, he kept telling himself.

"Well, Shadow, as a matter of fact, I really cannot tell you where I am going – not yet. But I would like for you to come with me," he explained, smiling reassuringly at her and caressing her cheek with his gloved hand, "If you trust me."

Shadow was confused, "Trust you?" Of course, she trusted Erik. Hadn't she told him so just that morning?

He nodded, "Yes, my Shadow. You see, tonight I have a surprise for you."

Shadow's eyes widened, "A surprise? For me?"

Again, he nodded, "Yes. But in order to give you this surprise, I must ask you to trust me and follow me without seeing where we are headed," and saying that, he extracted a strand of black cloth from under his cape, "I must blindfold you."

Shadow felt even more confused, but she clearly trusted Erik with her life, so she merely nodded and stood still as he stepped besides her, gently placing the cloth over her eyes. She saw her vision turn to black, and felt Erik tie the fold behind her head. She panicked slightly when she felt him leave her side, but a second later her heart jolted when she he took her hand and she heard his soothing voice speaking from the darkness.

"Come now, Shadow," he told her, "Come with me."

And so she followed him, taking one step after the other into complete darkness. Her mind buzzed with fear and adrenaline rushed through her blood, but her heart trusted Erik entirely, so she made no sign of hesitation or protest and completely abandoned herself to his guidance, following him through the dark. He kept speaking to her, warning her if there were obstacles standing in the way and helping her to overcome them, or else reassuring her that they were almost there.

And sure enough, step after step they reached their destination. Shadow felt a swish of air in front of her as a door was opened, then she was abandoned momentarily as Erik let go of her hand. A split second later, Shadow felt the veil being lifted from her eyes and gasped. They were standing inside a private box, overlooking the Opera and giving an excellent view of the Opera. Shadow knew at once where they were: Box Five. She also realized what her surprise was, and her heartbeat quickened in excitement. She turned to Erik.

"Erik…Erik has brought Shadow to see an Opera?" she asked, her eyes widening in disbelief. Erik beamed at her.

"Yes, my Shadow," he answered, "Tonight, I want you to watch the Opera with me from here."


	10. CH10: Insolent Boy

**A/N**_**:**__ Ta-da! I'm back! And so, our story progresses . . . finally, with the entrance of another crucial character ! I hope you enjoy the chapter, as always.  
Reviews, comments and critiques are always welcome.  
_

_To our next update!  
xoxoxo  
-Kayla Shadow_

**Many Thanks to:  
snapesgirl1313  
IamthePhantomoftheOpera  
dog youkai jane  
I hope you'll find an answer to your questions in this chapter! Thank you for your reviews, as always. Love to all! xxx _–K.S._**

* * *

**CH.10 : INSOLENT BOY**

Shadow's face broke in a beaming grin, and she threw her arms around Erik, unable to restrain herself. "Oh, thank you, Erik! Thank you!"

Erik was taken aback for a second, then returned her embrace, running his hand through her dark hair gently and feeling a slight lump of commotion form in his throat at Shadow's happiness. He knew that she had not expected him to bring her to see an Opera because, as he had told Madame Giry, he didn't think she was '_ready_' yet. The fact was, he was worried about how Shadow could react being amongst so many other people, for she was not used to it.

Now, she slowly walked towards the balcony, dazed by the beauty of the Opera, adorned for the big night. She could heard people's voices echoing around the room, and her eyes took in every detail: the gorgeous golden statues decorating the sides of the room, the velvet seats ready to welcome the guests, and of course the dazzling chandelier which hung sparkling high above the audience. Shadow made to lean over the golden rail to catch a glimpse of the other guests, but Erik was quicker and swiftly took hold of her waist, gently but firmly pulling her back.

"_Ah_-_ah_-_ah_, Shadow," he whispered in her ear, "Remember, we must not be seen by anybody tonight." Shadow, who felt a chill running down her spine as he spoke, nodded in response. "Good," he said, "Now, let us sit down. I believe the show is about to begin."

Again, Shadow nodded, and together they settled on the two luxurious, plush seats set inside the box. Just as Erik had predicted, the lights went down shortly after, and the orchestra began to play the Overture. Shadow leaned forward in her chair, eager with anticipation. Erik grinned seeing her, and then turned his attention to the opera, trying as best as he could to calm his tense nerves. He was unsuccessful, however, for suddenly Christine entered the stage, looking stunning in her costume. Erik felt his heartbeat begin to race, and when she began to sing he grew weak in the knees, but he firmly steadied his mind and forced himself to keep his composure throughout the opera. Shadow, of course, was oblivious to his inner turmoil, and didn't catch Erik's reaction when the primadonna entered the stage, for she was standing with her back to him. Instead, she merely stood gaping at the spectacle before her eyes, feeling as though she were living a dream. Rehearsals certainly did not match the wonder of the actual opera. Everything was much more majestic, much more glamorous, much more magical. As she stood in awe, Erik listened to Christine and secretly complimented himself: he had made a fine singer out of her, and although she still had plenty to learn, he had to admit that the girl had a lot of raw talent in her voice.

He was just beginning to feel lulled in a contemplative daze by the music when, during the third act, Christine intoned the famous aria that had started everything, and suddenly he felt his heart skip a beat: out of nowhere, in the dim light coming from the stage, a voice – _the _Voice, the one which he had heard so long ago – echoed all around him, just as it had done that day in the dungeons of the Opera. He straightened up, eyes blazing, and leaned forward to look at the stage: indeed, there was Christine, singing just as he had imagined she would. What in the world had happened to make her voice change?

He couldn't bring himself to come up with an answer, for suddenly everything else around him seemed to disappear, everything else ceased to exist. He felt hypnotized by that wonderful sound that filled his ears, and once again felt his heart soaring. He knew that his Muse had returned to him at last.

Shadow, on her behalf, had recognized the song she liked so much, and had instinctively begun singing along without really realizing what she was doing, keeping her voice down so that it only resonated in the walls of the private box. She had learned the lyrics by heart, and it was no effort for her to chant along as Christine sang. When the song ended, however, she finally realized that she had been singing along the whole time, and abruptly stopped, just as Erik sprung to his feet to applaud the primadonna.

"_Brava_!" he yelled amongst the cheers coming from the rest of the audience, sure that nobody would hear or pay any attention to him, for all eyes were upon Christine in that moment.

Shadow saw his reaction and blushed with a mixture of embarrassment and envy: had he been listening to _her, _or to that singer? And why did he look at _her_ that way while she bowed in front of the adoring audience? Shadow raised an eyebrow, turning her gaze to look at the primadonna, and felt a nasty feeling coming over her. She glared at the young soprano, narrowing her eyes as Erik continued to applaud her, and said nothing, her bitterness churning silently inside her.

The minutes passed, and soon Shadow forgot to be angry as the magic of the opera got the best of her attention once more. Then, the curtain went down, making Christine disappear. Everybody began shuffling out of their seats, and the chatter that had filled the theatre before resumed with an indistinct buzzing sound. Erik finally took his eyes away from the stage and sat up, wanting to ask Shadow if she had liked the Opera, but before he could speak she leapt to her feet in a swirl and once again captured him in an embrace.

"Shadow!" he called out, taken aback, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she held him tighter.

"Erik," she spoke at last, "Thank you so much for tonight! I can't remember the last time I felt this happy. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Shadow loved this!"

He chuckled, pleased to see how happy she was, and ever more pleased to see that she did not have problems speaking even though she was evidently emotional. He also wrapped his arms around her. She truly seemed to be ecstatic.

"Shadow, there's no need to thank me, it was my pleasure." He tousled her hair playfully like he always did, "Consider this my way of apologizing to you for behaving the way I did."

Shadow wanted to protest and tell him that she really didn't mind, but he silenced her with one look. They looked at each other intently for a moment, then Shadow gave him a small smile and leaned in towards him to embrace him again. But before she laid her head on his shoulder, moved by some unknown courage she dared to reach up and kiss him on the cheek. Then, she snuggled against him, hiding her face so that he couldn't see her blushing. What she also didn't see, however, was that Erik was blushing as well.

After a moment of uncertainty, Erik smiled at her, "_I'm so glad that you liked this, Shadow,_" he thought to himself, "_Heaven knows how long I've been waiting to see you you smile like this again._" He felt reassurance fill his heart, feeling as though his plan was actually working out after all. He hadn't felt this thankful in a long time. He held onto the embrace for another few moments, before breaking the silence.

"Come now," he said, taking Shadow by surprise as he lifted her up and twirled her around, before setting her down again and planting a kiss on her forehead, "Let's get back to the lair."

Shadow nodded, and he led the way to the passage through which they had entered the box, stepping into the welcoming darkness. He had enjoyed surprising Shadow like this, but being around people for so long made him nervous. He greeted the silent dark with gratitude. Realizing after a second that Shadow was standing hesitantly in the doorway of the passage, probably uncertain because of the unfamiliarity of the passage, he swiftly turned around and went back to her. He didn't say anything, but gave her a smile before gently reaching out and taking her hand in his, beckoning her to follow him.

They walked along the corridor, heading downward, until they reached a crossroad. Erik stopped. He knew that now was the time for the last part of his plan to take action. He turned to face Shadow.

"Shadow, can I please ask that you start to head to the lair and wait for me there?"

She looked at him with questioning eyes.

"I have to go check on our friends the managers," he hastily explained, "But I would prefer that you do not come with me this time. I don't want to take any risks. Don't worry," he quickly added, "It'll only take me a few minutes. I'll be back in no time," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder and drawing closer to her, looking into her eyes intently, "I promise."

Shadow seemed diffident for a second, but then she nodded and obediently took off along one of the passages without another word. Erik sigh heavily, hoping that she would actually go straight to the lair. He felt that he could trust her enough for her not to follow him, so he swiftly turned around and began walking down the opposite direction in which Shadow had gone. He knew that he had to act quickly if he didn't want her to get suspicious.

_Not tonight_.

That was what he was going to tell Christine. He would appear to her sooner or later, but not tonight. It had been a very important and demanding night for her, and he, her Angel, had decided that she had had enough emotions for one evening. He _would_, however, tell her that he was very, very pleased with the way she had performed, and he would vow that he would show himself to her soon, very soon.

He knew it was a pathetic attempt at buying more time for himself, but it was all he had been able to come up with. He didn't know what else he could do. It pained him to have to settle with continuing to see his singing Angel through a mirror for the time being, but he had no other choice. This was an exceptionally delicate situation, and in no way was he willing to ruin everything because of a hasty decision. Time had played against him, and this had been the only harmless solution he had been able to conjure. While Shadow's surprise had actually come from his heart as an earnest attempt to make her wish come true and possibly somehow forget – or at the very least forgive - his neglecting behavior, the choice of leaving his promise to Christine for another time had been a decision he had made halfheartedly. Halfheartedly, he reminded himself, but necessarily.

Soon, he reached his destination, behind the mirror in Christine's dressing room. The room was still deserted: perfect. He pushed the mirror aside and stepped inside the room, rushing to a table that was standing nearby, adorned with flowers. Swiftly, he produced a single red rose from his cloak. Its color was ruby red, and it had a black ribbon tied around its stem. He left the rose on the table in clear view, before hastily returning to the safety of his hideout and waiting. If his calculations were correct, he would not have to wait long.

Just as he had expected, he had only to wait for a few moments before he saw the newly crowned diva enter, followed by a roaring cheer coming from the crowd of admirers that was standing behind the door. Madame Giry was escorting her, and she pushed the fragile Christine into the room before turning and slamming the door behind them. She then straightened up and looked at Christine, who seemed to be slightly frightened.

"You did very well, my dear," she told her with a reassuring smile as she eyed the rose on the table and picked it up, "He is proud of you," she said, handing the rose to Christine. Erik's breath caught in his throat as he watched the girl take the flower and slowly realize who Madame Giry was talking about. He hoped that the flower would serve its purpose as a token of forgiveness. He let out a small sigh of relief when he saw a smile form on Christine's face. Madame Giry turned to leave, shooting a single glance towards Erik's direction. He knew that this was his time to act. Part of him wished he didn't have to do what he was about to do, but he knew there was really no other choice for him. Gathering up all his willpower, he took a deep breath.

"Christine, I am –"

His words never reached the soprano's ears, however, for the dressing room door suddenly opened again and the crowd's cheering drowned Erik's voice. Christine, who was sitting near the mirror, turned her head to see who had entered. Erik shifted his eyes too, and when he saw who was standing in the doorway, his breath caught in his throat.

Raoul, the Vicompte, entered the dressing room, quickly closing the door behind him and holding a big bouquet of flowers in his hands. He smiled at Christine, who was eyeing him curiously, apparently wondering who he was, and then began reciting what seemed to be some sort of poem. He repeatedly referred to a certain '_Little Lotte'_, and it didn't take long for Erik to understand he was talking about Christine. He also realized, with horror, that the Vicompte and his Angel appeared to have been sweethearts. _Childhood sweethearts. _

Erik had to physically bite his tongue to keep silent as he witnessed the heartfelt reunion between the two. He watched Christine's content expression as he spoke to her, and then listened to the Vicompte inviting her out. He was pleasantly surprised when Christine told him about her Angel of Music and said that he did not want her to go, but then felt a new twinge of anger when the Vicompte arrogantly dismissed her excuses and insisted that she join him for dinner. Then, without giving Christine any time to protest, he told her that he would be waiting for her and left the room once again, leaving Christine by herself once more.

The young woman sigh deeply, turning her face towards the mirror behind which Erik stood. While Erik had been wishing to talk to her before, however, he now remained silent, glaring at her from his hideout. So, he had not been the only one captivated from his precious Angel's charms, or so it seemed. He saw her staring blankly at the mirror for another few moments, before she made up her mind and walked behind her dressing parlor to change.

As soon as she was gone from his sight, Erik felt his fury boil through his veins and began to shake with anger. After the young man left the primadonna's dressing room, Erik's sense of reason had seemed to exit through the door with him. A wave of unearthly jealously now overcame him, so powerful it almost blinded him. He was so furious, that he almost didn't notice Christine coming out of the parlor.

It was only for a second. For a second, all other thoughts were blocked away. For a second, he forgot everything – and every_one_ – else. For a second, he completely lost control. And in that second, he did the last thing he would've wanted to do, especially after all his thoughts and reflection on the matter.

And before he could stop himself….

"_**Insolent boy!**_"


	11. Interlude:Happy Birthday,Erik

**A/N: ** Hello everyone! I know I haven't been around for a while, and unfortunately I am not here to give you a full chapter yet. I _do _however want you to know that I am currently working on the next installment of my story, and it should be ready to go for the weeked. This chapter is giving me a lot of problems! In any case, although I might not have a full chapter for you yet I _do _have this – it's an interlude, to celebrate a very special event.

For those of you who do not know,today would be Erik's 100th birthday, so I thought it fit to create this little story to incorporate as a flashback to the main storyline. I think it was the minimum I could do to celebrate such an event. Just imagine it to be a flashback, that takes place after the first year that Shadow and Erik are together.

Enjoy! And please comment, reviews are always welcome!

Oh, and as usual, a big thank you goes out to those of you who have already left me a comment on the last chapter – the story shall continue normally as soon as I apply the finishing touches to my latest chaper, which, I repeat, should happen exactly this weekend.

Without further ado, I give you this little gem!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIK!!!

_Love and happiness to all,  
-Kayla S._

* * *

_** September 24**__**th**__**, 1949  
Paris, Somewhere below the Opéra house…**_

"_Erik!"_

_Erik, or The Phantom as he was known throughout the Opéra house, snapped out of his daze. He had been comfortably sitting on the rafters above the stage, lost in his thoughts as he listened to the orchestra's evening performance. He had not expected to be interrupted so abruply, and was even more surprised when he looked up to see who had called his name._

"_Shadow?"_

_His beloved Shadow was standing just a few feet away, crouching down like a predator and looking thoroughly alarmed. She eyed him urgently, apparently in distress. Immediately, Erik began to worry._

"_Shadow, what's wrong?" _

_She didn't answer, but merely stood still, breathing heavily with her eyes glued on him. Feeling even more alarmed, he began to get up, and as soon as he moved she seemed to snap back to attention. With a swift movement she leapt forward, and before Erik could do or say anything she grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the direction she had come from._

"_Erik! Erik!" she shouted with anguish, "Erik come with Shadow! Quick, quick! Erik must see! Follow Shadow!" _

_He staggered behind, profoundly confused, and frowned. _

"_Shadow, what is the matter?"_

_Once again, she didn't answer, but continued to drag him along with her. He began to panic, while his mind whirred with the possibilities of what in the world could have happened. He began to fear the worse, and wondered what could have happened that was so horrible that Shadow dared not tell him directly. The two of them made their way – or rather, Shadow led the way, while Erik stumbled hopelessly behind – down from the rafters, heading more and more under the Opéra house. Erik seriously began to panic when he realized that they seemed to actually be heading for the lair. He began to fear somebody had broken in and felt his blood freeze at the thought._

"_God," he thought to himself, "If anything's happened to my opera, I swear someone will die."_

"_Quick! Quick, Erik!" Shadow continued to prompt him, "Erik must hurry! Quick!"_

_They rounded a corner, and by now Erik had no doubts: they were moving towards the lair. Immediately, flashes of angry mobs and burning sheets of music flooded his mind, yet he refused to let the panic take over him until he saw it with his very eyes. They rounded a corner and entered the lair from the land, standing right in front of the lake. _

_And then, out of the blue Shadow whipped around, turned Erik, and assaulted him by covering his eyes with a thick black cloth. She moved so quickly he barely had the time to understand what was happening._

"_SHADOW!" he shouted, startled when he watched his vision disappear. He instantly began to tug at the cloth, but Shadow seemed to have cemented it together. "Shadow, what is going on?" he demanded, beginning to feel frustrated. Instead of answering, he felt Shadow move away from him and then gently come back to take his hand, leading him into the darkness without a word. He began to feel the anger boiling up inside him.  
"Shadow," he growled, speakin in an authorative voice that admitted no refusal, "You tell me what is going on right this instant! Do you hear me?" he felt her stop and drop his hand and continued, "You have better start explaining what happening right now, or I'll-" and suddenly, his vision returned as Shadow lifted the cloth._

_And what he saw make him choke on his own words and immediately brought tears to his eyes. _

_There, set in front of him right on his organ and amongst his music sheets, was a cake, lit up with exactly forty small candles._

_Shadow walked up besides the organ, turning around and smiling sweetly at him._

"_Happy Birthday, Erik." She spoke softly, folding her hands on her lap and looking down, blushing._

_Erik stood gaping with his mouth open, unable to speak. Of course. With all he had been thinking of lately, he had actually forgotten that today was his birthday. _

_His fortieth, as a matter of fact. _

_Slowly, he walked up to the organ right in front of the cake, his breath shaky and his eyes brimmed with tears. Shadow frowned, fearing he hadn't taken her action well. _

"_Erik not…like Shadow's surprise?" she asked inquisivitely in a childish voice. _

_Erik looked up at her. His tears were now steaming freely down his cheeks, and his breath had turned into short gasps of commotion. Never, in his whole life, had anybody done something like this for him, least of all ever celebrated his birthday. Shadow's surprise had gotten right to his heart, and it showed. She cowered slightly when she saw him crying like that, worried that he was upset, but before she could worry much longer he covered the space between them with one long catlike stride and scooped her right off of her feet and into her arms, squeezing her to the point where she had trouble breathing. _

_Caught off guard, Shadow squealed in surprise, then laughed when he started to twirl her around. Then he set her back down on the organ, so that she was standing at his same height, and held her tight against him, holding onto her as if there was no tomorrow and burying his face in her hair. _

"_Shadow," he breathed in her ear, his voice still shaky with emotion, "Thank you, Shadow. Thank you, thank you, thank you…." _

_Shadow grinned triumphantly, holding onto his shoulders just as tightly as he was. She had had to go through some trouble to find the cake, but she knew Erik would love her surprise and what mattered now was that it looked like he really did. She tried to ignore her racing heart._

"_Erik not need to thank Shadow," she answered, speaking in his ear as well, "Shadow want Erik to know that Shadow wishes for Erik's birthday that Erik find all the happiness he wants, every single day of his life, because Erik deserves it." _

_Erik bit back a sob. _

_Shadow then gently lifted her head from his shoulder and looked straight into his eyes, feeling her heart swell with the emotion she saw in them and smiling warmly at him: Erik was still speechless, but his expression was worth a thousand words. Instinctively, Sweetly, Shadow leaned forward and planted a peck on his lips. _

"_Happy Birthday, Erik."_

_* * * * * * * * * * * * *_


	12. CH11: Why have you brought her here?

**A/N: ****HELLO, **everyone! At _LAST _as you can see I have indeed returned with a new chapter. I know there's been a very long delay,but bear with me I have been remarkably busy and have only now been able to give this chapter the ultimate touches. I hope it'll be long enough to make up for my long delay, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it.

Many thanks to my reviewers: dog youkai jane, snapesgirl1313, IamthePhantomoftheOpera and EdandBel4Ever. I appreciate all your comments very much! Hope you enjoy this next chapter, I look forward to your next reviews =)

_To our next update,_

_xoxox  
-Kayla S._

* * *

**CH.11: WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT HER HERE?**

Shadow was lying on Erik's bed, one arm draped across her stomach and the other abandoned over her head, staring as the ceiling as she tried to fall asleep. She was much too nervous to stay in her own bed, and staying in Erik's was the only way she felt comforted. Of course, his return would just make it all better. All was silent in the lair, except for the usual sound of water and the candles' burning fire that crackled in the distance, echoing indistinctively in the cave. She wondered when Erik would be back.

She could still feel the adrenaline from the night's events rushing through her veins and that, added to her worry for Erik's return, kept sleep well away from her. She took a long breath and exhaled loudly.

The silence was broken when a distant sound began to resonate along the stone walls. Shadow's ears pricked up. She lifted her torso from the bed, looking up, and realized that the noise was coming from the lake. Soon after, she also realized that the noise was actually singing, and although it still sounded distant, she began to distinguish a deep male voice. She grinned.

"_Erik!_" she thought happily, sprinting off the bed and rushing to the other room.

What she saw as soon as she got there, however, made her stop dead in her tracks and almost stumble upon herself.

Erik carefully pushed the gondola across the lake, gliding across the water. One rapid glance across the lair told him that Shadow was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was probably already sleeping in the bedroom on the other side of the lair. He resolved to take Christine back before she would wake. Yes, Shadow would never even know she had been there. His eyes then settled on his muse, his beautiful angel, who sat elegantly poised in front of him, singing. She was singing for _him_, for no one else but for him. That thought alone was enough to make him forget everything else. With his strong, imperative voice, he ordered her to continue to sing for him, and ecstasy filled his soul when he saw her promptly obey his command.

Soon they reached the lake's shore, and he agilely descended from the boat. With another swift movement, he swished his cape off his shoulders and dropped it to the ground, and then he turned back around, locking eyes with Christine.

For a moment, Shadow could have sworn her heart ceased beating.

There, inside the gondola that was now docked on the lakeshore of the lair, she could see not only Erik – but also another woman.

And not just _any_ woman.

In front of that boat, eyes open in a dreamy daze as she stared at Erik in awe, was that very same woman Shadow had seen performing on stage barely an hour before.

Shadow didn't know what to do. Her mind seemed to have frozen, and her heartbeat had now accelerated so much that it resembled a hummingbird's. In a sudden snap of lucidity, however, she made a quick decision and bounded away from where she was standing before she could be spotted by either of them, retreating into the shadows and disappearing from view. And once she was safely hidden in the darkness, she forced herself to keep her eyes on what was happening not far from her.

Erik's breath caught in his throat as he took in his muse's beauty. She was wearing a white nightgown that made her appearance ever more angelical and ethereal. Her long brown hair fell behind her back in elaborate curls, and she looked up to him with doe-like chocolate eyes. He hastily drew his attention away from her beauty and regained his regal composure. He sang to her soothingly, telling her why he had brought her there with him while she continued to stare, captivated by his every word.

As she stood still crouching besides the rock wall, Shadow could feel her legs shaking with anger, like her hands. She desperately tried to gain control over herself, but couldn't manage to. Her breath came in short, angry gasps, and her forehead was beaded with sweat. She wanted to do something. She wanted to yell, she wanted to jump out and confront both of them, but she couldn't move. Her eyes fiery glares burned in their direction.

Who was this woman?

What was she doing here?

What did she want from her Erik?

Mute with rage and confusion, she watched as Erik helped the young diva out of the boat and she took his hand obediently, evidently mesmerized by his every move. Shadow heard him begin to sing to her, telling her why he had brought her there – to _serve his music_. Shadow drew a sharp breath. _What?_

What was he talking about?

What had gotten into his mind?

Had he gone completely mad?

How could he bring a perfect stranger right into his lair, the sacred hideout where no other mortal apart from Shadow and himself had ever set foot before? Just then, Erik began to sing again, and Shadow began to lose her train of thought.

Erik had been longing to sing to Christine for a long time – to sing to her not only as a bodiless voice with a mystical angelic aura but as a physical presence, looking at her right in the eye. And now, he finally sang to her, effortlessly, concentrating every fiber of his being into his voice. He had created the melody a while back, thinking of his muse, and had long dreamed of serenading her with it. He had to hold back from shivering in delight as he took hold of Christine's hand, still singing, and guided her out of the gondola and onto land.

The young woman hardly seemed to understand or care about where she was, for all she did was continue to gape at him. He was surprised at the power his own voice was having over her, and felt equally thankful for it. Word after word, note after note, his voice subtly weaved itself inside Christine's ears, entering her mind and taking control over her thoughts.

Shadow stood once again helplessly watching as Erik sang to the girl, elegantly striding around her in a way that reminded her a lot of a predator circling its prey. Shadow had never heard him sing that melody before, and in spite of her anguished state she couldn't help being completely drawn to him as she listened to his unearthly voice fill the cavern and echo all around her. His voice held an indescribable power over her: it always had, and it was practically impossible for her to resist its allure.

He was singing about his music… and yet, Shadow could swear she could also hear him singing about his craving, his love…his _passion_. Deliriously, she began to feel as though he were actually singing to _her _instead of that girl. Her heart melted at the sound of his voice and, following what he was ordering her to do through his singing, she closed her eyes in surrender, for reality was far too painful to watch, and let her mind wander to places she had never imagined before. The thoughts that the melody was producing in her mind would have normally made her blush furiously, but right then she couldn't care less. Maybe, she thought, if she just listened to his voice she would wake up and discover that this was all just a dream.

_Yes_, a very bad dream… Nothing more, nothing more… Please, let it all be a dream…

Erik continued casting his spell on Christine, who could only follow his every move and remained still in what appeared to be utter adoration of him. Her absolute abandonment to him made Erik feel as powerful and confident as he had never felt before. He knew that he would be able to control Christine in any way if he had wanted to, but he was no monster and being the gentlemen he was he did not allow the realization of how much power he held over her grant him the permission to treat her with any less respect than she deserved. She truly was an angel to him, and he was ready to venerate her like one.

Christine felt as though her mind had been deprived of its own will. All of her thoughts, every feeling and each fiber of her being seemed to be completely captivated, entranced and controlled by this man, taken over by his power and the power of his voice. This man, this angel – _her _Angel of Music. Since she had seen him appear behind her mirror that night, she had been incapable of detaching herself from the irresistible power he held over her. Everything had become a hazy dream and she had only vaguely been aware that he had somehow made her pass right through her mirror and offered her his hand…which she had willingly taken.

They had begun to walk away from her dressing room, yet she had barely taken notice of their journey. All she knew was that he had taken her away, far, far away from her world, and she was now completely and absolutely bound to him, clinging to very note he sang and lulled by his angelic voice. He truly _was_ an angel – or at the very least, he sounded like one. Admittedly, his appearance had rather taken her aback, for she had not expected her Angel of Music to wear a mask, or least of all to have the dark brooding air that haloed around him. And yet, somehow that only helped increase the undeniable attraction she felt towards him. She listened to him sing and watched him float around her, and when she saw him draw closer to her she widened her eyes with a gasp.

Erik barely dared to move closer to her, yet even as he did so he carefully continued to calculate his every move. First, he took her face delicately in his gloved hands, magnetically looking straight into her eyes. Then, ever so slowly, he circled Christine and stopped behind her. Fighting the instinctive trembling that threatened to overcome him he lifted his hand and ever so gently placed it with feather-light weight on top of her thigh, before lightly gliding it across her slender figure. He watched for her reaction and saw her simply standing still, still mesmerized by him. Feeling bolder, he took her hand in his and dared to guide it up to his face. When her fingers touched his cheek, he felt himself almost fainting and had to struggle to keep control.

Then, Just as he had gotten closer to her he briskly stepped back, intoning the poignant verses of his song. Watching her reactions made a very primal and masculine sense of pride swell within him. He had never held so much power over another human being, other than –

Suddenly, Erik's mind went blank.

_Shadow. _

Christine's eyes, which she had closed in her ecstatic daze moments before, opened again and scrutinized him questioningly, wordlessly asking why he had stopped. Erik forced his mind to focus on her once again, but he knew that now it was too late. Somehow the sudden thought of Shadow had broken right into the dreamlike state he had dragged himself into, shattering the illusion, and now he could feel worry steadily begin to spread inside his mind. He had let himself get carried away. He still had to be careful, however, that the spell would not break for Christine as well. He promptly decided that he would immediately bring her back before Shadow could discover them – but before he did that, there was one last thing he wanted to show her.

Reprising his singing, he smiled reassuringly and took Christine's hand, guiding her. Once he stopped in front of what appeared to be a mirror, he lifted the velvet drape that was covering it and revealed a project he had been secretly working on for months: a life-sized reproduction of Christine, dressed in bridal clothes and expressionlessly staring right ahead. He considered it to be one of his biggest tributes and gifts for his diva. He turned to smile at his muse, but felt a twinge of panic when he saw her swoon backward. Promptly he was by her side, and managed to catch her in his arms before she hit the ground.

Thatwas _not_ the reaction he had been expecting. At all. He lifted the now unconscious girl in his arms.

What now?

He couldn't bring her back, not like this. Heaven forbid he leave his angel in this state! No, he could never do that. Not without seeing that she regained consciousness and was well. And yet, what was he to do? Even if Shadow was sleeping – given she had not woken up by now - she was still _there, _inside the bedroom...and she would _not_ be happy to find a stranger in the lair.

He finally decided that he had no choice but to just lay Christine down on his bed for the time being. He would wait for her to regain consciousness – for surely, _hopefully_, it would be a matter of mere minutes – and would meanwhile make sure that Shadow was still asleep. Then, as soon as Christine would wake he would bring her back and that would be the end of it.

He realized once again with a painful sense of guilt stabbing his heart that he had already taken far too many risks for the time being. He was supposed to have given up showing himself to Christine, and _this_ is what he had ended up doing! He scowled at his horrible sense of coherency, but blamed the inhuman rush of jealousy that had taken over him to be the cause of his impulsiveness.

Slowly, he headed for his bedroom, careful not to make noise. He took Christine to his bed and frowned: the covers had been shifted, which meant that Shadow had been there before. Again, Erik felt a jolt of panic. He had to check that Shadow was asleep, and he had to do it fast.

As gently as he could, he set Christine down. Watching her peacefully unconscious, he couldn't help but end his serenade with one final, softly spoken verse. He gave his angel one last longing look, then, leaving the young diva's side, he pulled the bed curtains down around her and left her to rest. He smiled to himself.

Swiftly, he then turned around, heading for Shadow's bed besides the room's entrance. Shadow had wanted to place her bed there, from where she could see the organ and the candlelight would reach her from the other room. Apparently she couldn't stand staying in complete darkness, and the soft candlelight helped lull her to sleep.

Erik raised his eyes from the ground, still smiling from the exhilaration of what was happening to him and expecting to see Shadow's sleeping form lying on her bed…and the smile on his face quickly faded.

She wasn't there.

Hearing a slight shuffling to his left, he turned his head and felt his stomach lurch.

"S-Shadow."

She didn't answer, but merely stood in the doorway, fiercely glaring at him. He took a tentative step forward, trying to smile reassuringly at her and reaching out for her, but as soon as he came closer she jerked herself away from his touch.

"Shadow, what's the matter?" he asked her softly, as though he were dealing with a particularly upset child. She still didn't answer him, so once again he tried to step besides her…and once again she pulled away from him.

"Shadow," he repeated calmly, trying to keep his voice as soothing as possible, "Is something wrong?" he frowned "Didn't…didn't you like the Opera?"

Instead of answering, Shadow sulked even more, lowering her eyes and firing him with a dangerous glare. Then, without warning she swirled around and leapt away from him. Now, Erik began to panic. What did he think he was _doing?_ How did he find the courage to ask her if something was wrong? _Clearly,_ something was wrong! The realization hit him like an iced shower.

She knew. She had seen everything, and she _knew_.

This couldn't be happening. He had to do something. He had to act before it was too late and Shadow got the wrong idea – which she already had, apparently. Still, he had to keep his calm. He couldn't let her see that he knew she had seen everything – not yet. Hastily, he raced after her and found her sulking on the velvet cushions in front of the full-length mirrors. He approached her very cautiously, observing her reactions, but she was curled up upon herself and apparently seemed to be paying no attention to him. When she felt him kneel down besides her, however, she immediately pushed herself deeper against the cushions and turned her face away from him. Erik desperately tried to attract her attention.

"Shadow," he whispered, reaching out and placing a hand under her chin to turn her head towards him. Once again, however, she jerked away from his touch. He frowned, "Come now Shadow, stop this. What is wrong?" he kept his voice soothing, and gently pleaded, "Please tell me."

An idea formed in his mind, and for the third time, he slowly reached out to her. This time, she didn't move, and he was able to finally approach her. She stood still, her breathing increasing as she stared blankly ahead, as though she were playing a memory in her mind. He sat down besides her, encompassing her form with his body. He knew he had to be smart and act carefully. He moved a bit closer, placing his hands on her arms and resting his head on her shoulder, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"Tell me what is wrong, _ma petite ange_."

And suddenly, something inside her seemed to snap. Shadow roughly pulled away from his touch and leapt to her feet, shooting him another fired glare before storming away from him. He hastily got to his feet as well and followed her as she aimlessly stalked about the lair. She buried her hands in her hair, then spun around to confront him.

« _Why have you brought her here?_ »

He now clearly knew what she was talking about. The fake smile he had tried to put up for her turned into a look of guilt and remorse. Panicking, he took a step towards her, struggling to use his voice's power to bring her back to her senses.

« _**Please Shadow listen…**_»

But as soon as he approached her, she turned the other way without looking at him.

« _Where is she now?_ »

He reached his arms out to try and take hold of her.

« _**Let me explain…**_»

Again, she moved away from his touch. When she finally lifted her gaze to look at him, he felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach: her eyes were now brimmed with tears that were already streaking down her cheeks. Her voice was broken with emotion.

« _I know you'll lie to me…_»

The look she gave him was a look of utter hurt betrayal, and he physically recoiled in shame. Desperately, he tried to sooth her, reaching out with his hand once more.

« _**Shadow don't say that…**_»

She looked at his hand and pulled away, shaking her head.

« _You do not care!_»

She began to walk away again, but he was right behind her. Panic began to weave itself into his voice despite his frantic attempt to hide it.

« _**Don't even think it!**_»

He nearly shouted, realizing just how much damage he was causing and wishing there was _something_ he could do. Shadow suddenly turned back to him, looking at him as though he wasn't there.

« _You've lost yourself for her, and now I find…_»

He shook his head. What sort of nightmare had he dragged her into?

« _**Forget this waking nightmare…**_»

Shadow's eyes were now once again focused on him, and she now looked at him as though he were a stranger, shaking her head.

« …_The Phantom of the opera is there, inside your mind!_»

Erik was taken aback by these last words: _the Phantom of the Opera?_ Shadow had never called him like that! With another painful stab in his chest, he realized she was talking to him as though she no longer saw Erik, but indeed the Phantom that everybody feared and loathed. The cold, heartless and cruel Phantom who had lied to her and had brought another woman in their lair. Erik's blood turned to ice. How could he had done such a thing to her? He shook his head vigorously, taking a step towards her

« _**The Phantom is a fable, you know that!**_

_**There is no phantom of the opera…**_»

It was all in vain: Shadow didn't seem to be hearing a single word he was saying, and she moved away from his as soon as he got close. She seemed to be going through a violent panic attack: cringing, she covered her ears with her hands, speaking aloud as though she were talking to herself and moving as though she didn't know where to go.

« _My God who is this girl?_ »

Erik watched her delirious behaviour, feeling utterly helpless and completely responsible for what was happening.

« _**My God what have I done?**_ »

Shadow now came to a halt, crouching into her shoulders and shutting her eyes.

« _Why is she here?_ »

Erik knew he had to do something, and he had to do something fast.

« _**She must be calmed… **_»

He saw her crumble to the floor and without hesitance strode towards her.

« _**I must not lie to her…**_»

Shadow was now crumpled on the floor, crying and trying to cradle herself. All the emotions she had been forced to hold back before as she had been hiding watching Erik and Christine were now showing freely, and the impact they had on her was harsh.

« _Is that the voice he hears…_»

_with every breath?_ »

Erik was now standing besides her, wondering what to do.

« _**I promised her! **_»

Both thought about the other, wondering things could have gone so wrong so quickly. The presence and dark essence that the Phantom was made of, which had never before shown itself, now seemed to hover in the room with terrible strength.

« _**And in this labyrinth you've lost yourself…**_

_**The Phantom of the opera…**_»

« _**…is there inside your mind!**_»

« …_is here inside my mind!_»

With a shake of his head, Erik made a choice. Decisively, he dropped to the floor next to the huddled-up Shadow, who was now sobbing hysterically, and without further question he wrapped his arms around her in a way that no longer admitted rejection. But that wasn't a problem anymore, for Shadow held no more strength to fight him. Indeed, he was surprised when instead of pulling away this time she turned as soon as he touched her, willingly returning his embrace and desperately clinging onto him, as though she feared he would disappear beneath her very touch. Forcing his voice to remain steady, he whispered gently to her.

« _**There is no phantom of the opera…**_»

This made Shadow's sobs grow even louder, as though she was suddenly realizing and remembering what she had said to him. Cowering like a child, she buried her face in his shoulder. She clawed angrily into his other shoulder with one hand, and yet continued to hold onto him with loving care with the other. It was as though she wished to hurt him, to hurt him for what he had done, and at the same time she didn't have the courage to push him away.

Erik stood watching helplessly. Seeing her reaction, and seeing how much he had hurt her, made his heart ache terribly. He felt the guilt threatening to suffocate him, and repressed back a sob. In front of Shadow's misery, he could almost kill himself for what he had done. He didn't know what else to do, so he took her in his arms and held her close to him, holding her through her incontrollable sobs. His heart pounded in his chest listening to her cries, and his hands trembled as he held her. He was at a complete loss for words, so he limited himself to stay silent and wait for her to calm down, hoping she would be able to overcome the pain soon.

He didn't worry about her forgiveness. He knew he didn't have to, because he already knew that she would forgive him for what he had done.

What he didn't know what to do was how to forgive himself. How to forgive himself for being so weak, for being unable to keep a promise and for provoking this pain. But his heart was torn in two, for if one side hurt desperately for his Shadow, the other still beat at the thought of Christine and at the memory of their magic encounter. It had been like nothing Erik had ever experienced before, and with a sickening feeling he knew that he would fall for that same situation again.

Yet even though he knew that, in that moment, as he held his weeping Shadow to him and stroked her hair with trembling hands, feeling his eyes water with guilt, he could think of one phrase, and one phrase only:

"_Never again…never again…"_


End file.
